ABSTRACT
Objective To learn birth weight of newborn babies and its influencing factors to provide evidence for maternal healthcare.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted among 5 055 newborn babies from January 2007 to December 2007 to learn their birth weight,gender,pregnant week,maternal age,parity and living areas.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to explore factors that influenced birth weight.Results For those 5 055 infants,the average birth weight was (3128±675) g,and the incidence of low birth weight or fetal macrosomia was 14.6％ and 8.2％,respectively.In single factor Chi-square test,living area,pregnant week and maternal age were factors that influenced low birth weight and fetal macrosomia (x2 values were 223.807 and 34.120; 2 211.570 and 68.941; 92.199 and 18.745,respectively).Moreover,parity was related with the occurrence of low birth weight (x2=54.822),and gender was found to affect fetal macrosomia (x2=34.503,both P＜0.05).In Logistic regression analysis,preterm birth (odds ratio (OR)=37.140,95％ confidence interval (CI):30.094-45.853),rural residents (OR=0.390,95％ CI:0.310-0.492) and maternal age (OR=0.864,95％ CI:0.779-0.959) were risk factors of low birth weight,and baby boy (OR=0.524,95％ CI:0.423-0.650),urban residents (OR=0.616,95％ CI:0.501-0.758),postterm delivery (OR=4.175,95％ CI:2.918-5.974) and advanced maternal age (OR=1.229,95％ CI:1.104-1.368) were risk factors of fetal macrosomia.Conclusion This investigation suggests a relatively lower average birth weight and higher incidence of fetal macrosomia and low birth weight infant in Changzhi of Shanxi Province.Health interventions,maternal healthcare service programme and pre-and post-natal health education should be carried out to achieve normal birth weight.