Centile charts for birthweight for gestational age for Scottish singleton births
2008

Updated Birthweight Centile Charts for Scottish Singleton Births

Sample size: 100133 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Bonellie Sandra, Chalmers James, Gray Ron, Greer Ian, Jarvis Stephen, Williams Claire

Primary Institution: Napier University

Hypothesis

The existing birthweight centile charts in Scotland need updating due to changes in birthweight and gestational age measurement.

Conclusion

Mean birthweight has increased over recent decades, indicating the need for updated centiles for birthweight for gestational age.

Supporting Evidence

  • The new centiles were based on data from over 100,000 singleton births.
  • Mean birthweight has shown a consistent increase from 1980 to 2003.
  • The study confirmed that existing centiles were outdated and potentially inaccurate.

Takeaway

This study created new charts to help doctors understand if babies are growing normally based on their weight and age in the womb.

Methodology

The study used routinely collected data from singleton births in Scotland from 1998 to 2003 to construct new centile charts using the LMS method.

Potential Biases

Exclusions of stillbirths and congenital anomalies may introduce bias in the centile calculations.

Limitations

The study did not account for ethnicity due to poor recording in the data.

Participant Demographics

The study focused on singleton births in Scotland from 1998 to 2003.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2393-8-5

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