Effect of anaemia and other maternal characteristics on birthweight

A cross-sectional study was done on 982 mothers who delivered in four different government hospitals in Metro Manila and whose pregnancy was unassociated with pre-eclampsia, diabetes mellitus, chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, abruptio placenta, placenta praevia and multiple pregnancy. The relationship of birthweight and anaemia and other maternal characteristics was examined by multiple regression analysis. Birthweights did not correlate with maternal haemoglobin levels. However, anaemic mothers showed placental hypertrophy. The hypertrophy is probably a compensatory physiological response to ensure adequate oxygen supply to the fetus. Birthweight increased with gestational age affirming the fact that low birthweight is partly due to shortened gestational age. Haemoglobin level significantly increased with maternal age but decreased with increasing parity.