Related Experiment Videos
Secular change in birthweight of Asian babies born in Birmingham
Insights
Asian babies born in Birmingham showed increased birthweights between 1968-1978, influenced by environmental factors like maternal height and gestational age. This highlights the need for tailored interventions and individualized birthweight standards.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Birthweight is a key indicator of infant health and development.
- Previous studies suggest ethnic variations in birthweight, but detailed analysis within Asian populations is limited.
- Understanding secular trends in birthweight is crucial for identifying contributing factors and informing public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze changes in birthweight among Asian babies (Pakistani and Indian) born in a UK hospital between 1968 and 1978.
- To identify maternal and infant factors associated with observed secular changes in birthweight.
- To evaluate the appropriateness of a single 'Asian' standard for birthweight and intrauterine growth.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study analyzing birth records from 1968 and 1978.
- Comparison of birthweight, gestational age, maternal height, parity, and birth intervals between the two time periods for Pakistani and Indian infants.
- Statistical analysis to identify significant changes and contributing factors.
Main Results:
- Pakistani babies showed a greater increase in birthweight (139g) compared to Indian babies (25g) over the decade.
- Significant improvements in maternal height and gestational age were observed in both groups, with fewer short mothers and primiparae among Pakistanis.
- Intrauterine growth did not significantly increase among Indian babies, and birth intervals of less than one year remained common.
- Reduced teenage motherhood was noted in both groups, but only Pakistani mothers showed a reduction in short birth intervals.
Conclusions:
- Secular changes in birthweight are likely driven by environmental factors rather than genetics, suggesting potential for intervention.
- Efforts to improve birthweight should address maternal pre-pregnancy factors, pregnancy environment, age at first pregnancy, and birth spacing.
- The heterogeneity within the 'Asian' population necessitates detailed sub-ethnic analysis and suggests that a single 'Asian' standard for birthweight may be inappropriate; international reference data is preferable.
Abstract:
We have studied changes in the birthweight of Asian babies born alive at this hospital between 1968 and 1978. In 1978 Pakistani babies were 139 g heavier but Indian babies only 25 g heavier than 10 years earlier. Contributing to these changes were significantly fewer short mothers and primiparae among Pakistanis, and non-significant increases in gestational age and intrauterine growth (that is, weight centile after allowing for gestational age, parity, and maternal height). Among Indians there were significant increases in maternal height and gestational age, but parity was reduced and intrauterine growth did not increase. In both groups there were fewer teenage mothers, but whereas among Pakinstanis birth intervals of less than one year were less common, there was no such reduction among Indian mothers. The secular change suggests that genetic factors are unlikely to be the major reason why Pakistani babies born in Birmingham are lighter than European babies, and that environmental factors play an important role. Efforts to increase birthweight need to consider both the mothers' physical environment during pregnancy and prepregnancy factors influencing growth in childhood, age at first pregnancy, and birth interval. The study shows a need to describe an 'Asian' population with details of their sub-ethnic structure. The sub-ethnic and secular differences further suggest that a single 'Asian' standard for birthweight and intrauterine growth may be inappropriate; the use of international reference data with which all infants may be compared is preferable.