A new birth weight chart and optimal birth weight percentiles for predicting infant mortality

Prescriptive BW charts can facilitate discrimination between normal and abnormal birthweight. This study aimed to develop a prescriptive BW chart specific to Asian populations and assess its utility in predicting infant mortality. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and National Birth Reporting Database. This study included 2 956 475 live-born singleton infants born to healthy mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies in Taiwan from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2019. BW percentiles were estimated from GA 24-42 weeks by ranking the data in ascending order and calculating the percentile values based on the relative position of each observation within the dataset. Infant mortality rates were calculated for different GA groups, and optimal BW percentile cutoffs for predicting mortality were determined. A total of 2,255,989 infants (77.6%) from low-risk pregnancies were included in the development of the BW chart. Sex-specific BW percentiles were calculated. Optimal cutoff for predicting mortality were identified as follows: below the 22nd percentile or above the 96th percentile for extremely preterm infants (GA: 24-27 + 6 weeks), below the 11th percentile or above the 98th percentile for very preterm infants (GA: 28-31 + 6 weeks), below the 9th percentile or above the 99th percentile for moderately preterm infants (GA: 32-33 + 6 weeks), below the 8th percentile or above the 98th percentile for late preterm infants (GA: 34-36 + 6 weeks), and below the 7th percentile or above the 100th percentile for term infants (GA: > 37 weeks). A prescriptive BW chart was developed using data from a large population of Asian infants from low-risk pregnancies. BW percentiles were determined to predict infant mortality. Clinicians can utilize this approach to provide effective consultations to parents and improve decision-making processes.