The Research and Technology Services (RTS) of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) routinely collects, analyzes, and reports the health status of maternal and child health indicators among Boston residents. This information can be used to identify maternal characteristics in relation to birth outcomes such as low birthweight and preterm births, as well as maternal behaviors during pregnancy such as smoking and receiving adequate prenatal care. The BPHC has extensively studied perinatal outcomes and maternal characteristics in relation to low birthweight. However, the study of macrosomic infants, infants weighing 4,000+ grams, has largely been neglected. The risk of delivering a macrosomic infant is birth trauma and injuries such as shoulder dystocia.
Between 1991 and 1997, there were 59,443 live births in Boston. Macrosomic infants (mean weight 4,274.7 grams) accounted for 9.7% of the total births. Chi square analyses are used to compare maternal characteristics among singleton macrosomic and non-macrosomic (2,500-3,999 grams) births.
Results of current analyses show significant associations (p<0.05) between birthweight and race/ethnicity, maternal ancestry, age, marital status, educational attainment, parity, weight gain, method of delivery, adequacy of prenatal care, smoking during pregnancy, and sex of the infant.
Monitoring of women delivering macrosomic infants is important since these infants are more likely to experience birth trauma and injuries. Also, our research and the research of others show that older women are more likely to give birth to macrosomic infants. The current trends indicate an increase in births to older women.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation all participants should be able to: 1) Identify maternal characteristics and behaviors associated with delivering a macrosomic infant. 2) Understand the importance of monitoring women who deliver macrosomic infants, because these infants are more likely to experience birth trauma and injuries. In addition, the current trend in Boston shows an increase in births to older women, and macrosomic births increase with maternal age.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.