Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 12, 2025

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
06:48

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil

Published on: July 29, 2020

4.8K

Trends and predictors of birth weight in Chilean children

M L Garmendia1, S Mondschein2, B Montiel3

  • 1Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Public Health
|March 20, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Maternal nutritional status, including pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain, significantly impacts birth weight. Strategies focusing on healthy maternal weight and preventing gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia are crucial for normal birth outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Obstetrics
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Birth weight is a critical indicator of fetal health and future well-being.
  • Identifying factors influencing birth weight is essential for developing effective maternal and child health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze birth weight trends in a Chilean hospital from 2002 to 2015.
  • To identify prenatal care factors associated with low and high birth weight.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary analysis of 78,931 single birth records from a Santiago, Chile hospital (2002-2015).
  • Evaluation of sociodemographic, clinical, obstetric, lifestyle, and anthropometric variables.
  • Classification and regression tree methodology and logistic regression were employed.

Main Results:

  • Average birth weight was 3316g; preterm births increased, while post-term births decreased.
  • Key predictors for small for gestational age neonates included pregestational BMI <28 kg/m², gestational weight gain <17 kg, and pre-eclampsia.
  • Predictors for large for gestational age neonates included BMI ≥28 kg/m², gestational weight gain ≥17 kg, and gestational diabetes.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal nutritional status is the most significant factor influencing birth weight.
  • Interventions should focus on achieving normal pre-pregnancy maternal weight, recommended gestational weight gain, and managing gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
Abstract

Keywords:
Birth weightChileGestational diabetesGestational weight gainObesityPre-eclampsia

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

27.5K
Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography03:35

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: December 1, 2023

453

Related Concept Videos

Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.6K
z Scores and Area Under the Curve01:17

z Scores and Area Under the Curve

z scores are the standardized values obtained after converting a normal distribution into a standard normal distribution. A z score is measured in units of the standard deviation. The z score tells you how many standard deviations the value x is above (to the right of) or below (to the left of) the mean, μ. Values of x that are larger than the mean have positive z scores, and values of x that are smaller than the mean have negative z scores. If x equals the mean, then x has a z score of...
16.2K
Applications of Normal Distribution01:22

Applications of Normal Distribution

The normal distribution is a useful statistical tool. One of its practical applications is determining the door height after considering the normal distribution of heights of persons, such that many can pass through it easily without striking their heads. The normal distribution can also determine the probability of a person having a height less than a specific height.
The heights of 15 to 18-year-old males from Chile from 1984 to 1985 followed a normal distribution. The mean height is 172.36...
8.2K
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
21.4K
Longitudinal Studies01:26

Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
323
Bias in Epidemiological Studies01:29

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:  
948