[Birth weight of full-term newborn infants in Douala (Cameroon)]

This retrospective study was carried out to help determine local standards for birth weights of neonates born in Douala (Cameroon). Data from 1,376 term births recorded in delivery room registers were analyzed in order to obtain the mean birth weight and various percentiles for boys and girls born from January 1st, 1984, through December 31, 1988. Values obtained were compared with French and African values, whenever possible, and comparison of values for both sexes showed that birth weights were noticeably higher in males. These results may allow local practitioners to rapidly recognize small-for-dates neonates in Douala.