Predictability of offspring birth weight using simple parental anthropometrics in a government hospital in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Birth weight is of interest to quantitative geneticists and to obstetricians being one of the most important complex traits that determine perinatal outcome. Moreover, It is a predictor of mother’s and baby’s health later in life. Accuracy of prediction of baby’s birth weight is therefore central to perinatal success and the quality of life of the baby in adulthood. Current intrauterine procedures including ultrasonography are of inadequate predictive values. The possibility of combining parental anthropometric data with already existing predictive methods such as ultrasonography may increase accuracy of birth weight prediction for better peri- and postnatal management of low or high birth weight. Aim: The aim is to determine the parental anthropometric predictors of baby’s birth weight in Lagos, Nigeria. Using parental explanatory variables to predict baby’s weight could complement the already existing predictive methods such as ultrasonography for more accurate prediction of birth weight. Methods and Materials: Parental parameters such as weight, height, BMI and other anthropometric attributes were obtained from 250 couples. Baby’s birth weight was taken immediately after birth. Results: Only three parental factors were needed to substantially predict offspring birth weight. These include mid-paternal weight which was the most explanatory variable, followed by parity, and then maternal weight. Conclusion: Complementing ultrasonographic and other data with information from parental variables, especially mid-paternal weight, parity and maternal weight might improve accuracy of prediction of low birth weight or macrosomic babies and therefore a reduction in perinatal failure.

Keywords: Birth weight, anthropometrics, macrosomia, predictability, Nigeria