Open Access  Subscription Access

Objective: To determine the birth weight of apparently healthy newborns delivered at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried out between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004. The criteria were booked mothers, mothers with regular menstrual cycles, availability of mother's last menstrual period ± report of an obstetric ultrasound scan and absence of first trimester vaginal bleeding. Maternal weight, height, birth order and socioeconomic status were also obtained. 253 babies were enrolled.

Results: There were 131 males and 122 females giving a male: female ratio of 1.1:1. Gestational age by maternal dates ranged from 28 to 44 weeks. There was a consistent increase in mean values of weight as the gestational age increased. The mean (SEM) weight for 24 babies of