Improved method for revising the Israel birthweight references

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Neonatal Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Birthweight is a key indicator of fetal health and development.
• Standardized birthweight charts are essential for clinical assessment, but population-specific data is needed due to variations in growth.
• Categorizing infants as small or large for gestational age has significant clinical implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a population-based reference for birthweight by gestational age in Israel.
• To stratify these references by singleton/multiple births and gender.
• To provide updated local data for accurate fetal growth assessment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Ministry of Health Birth Registry (2010-2019).
• Excluded implausible birthweight and gestational age values using visual mapping and interquartile range criteria.
• Analyzed 1,689,696 live births, stratifying by singleton/multiple births and gender.

Main Results:

• Mean birthweight for singletons (3251g) was significantly higher than for multiples (2304g).
• Birthweight differences between singletons and multiples emerged around 30-31 weeks of gestation.
• Singleton birthweight increase plateaued after 42 weeks, with lower weights for those born after 43 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Improved data validation allowed analysis of 96% of births, enhancing reference accuracy.
• The study identified shifts in the distribution of lower and higher birthweight percentiles compared to previous references.
• Regular updates of national growth curves are vital for reflecting current population data and ensuring clinical relevance.