Birth weights and gestational ages of Malawian newborns at Queen Elizabeth Central hospital - Blantyre Malawi – a retrospective analysis

Aklilu M Metaferia, George Kafulafula, EV Malunga

Abstract


Objective: To determine the distributions of birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) and calculate rates of still birth (SB) of four years delivery in the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital( QECH).

Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out on data of deliveries conducted between January 2000 and December 2003. Mean BW, mean GA, rates low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery and SB as well as sex ratio were determined.

Results: There were 36439 singleton deliveries weighing 1000--5830g. Male to female ratio was 106. Seventy-nine percent were spontaneous vaginal deliveries and 13.3% were delivered by Cesarean sections. Stillbirths accounted for 3.4%. The overall mean BW for live births was 2964g (SD 526g). Males were heavier (3015g), than females (2911g), P value

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Malawi Medical Journal.   ISSN: