HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by OVERPECK, M. D. Articles by KLEBANOFF, M. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by OVERPECK, M. D. Articles by KLEBANOFF, M. A.

Birth Weight for Gestational Age of Mexican American Infants Born in the United States

From the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Address reprint requests to: Mary D. Overpeck, DrPH Division of Epidemiology National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health Building 6100, Room 7B03 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892–7510 E-mail: mary_overpeck{at}nih.gov

Objective: To develop a reference for birth weight for gestational age to identify Mexican American infants born in the United States who are small or large for gestational age.

Methods: Reference percentiles were developed for Mexican American and non-Hispanic white births, using national vital statistics from 1992–1994 for Mexican Americans (n = 1,197,916) and 1994 for non-Hispanic whites (n = 2,238,457). Birth weights and gestation from the last menstrual period were taken from birth certificates. Smoothed curves were fit, using unweighted fourth-degree polynomial equations, for the tenth, 50th, and 90th percentiles by gender and parity.

Results: Mexican American infants were heavier than non-Hispanic white infants between 30 and 37 weeks’ gestation for all parities and both genders. However, at term there was consistent crossover. Non-Hispanic white infants were heavier at or after 37 through 42 weeks’ gestation, whereas the growth of Mexican American infants appeared to slow. Beginning at 37 weeks, the differences in weights of infants of primiparas increased to more than 100 g by 40 weeks; the differences were only slightly less for infants of multiparas.

Conclusion: Given differences in distribution of birth weights for gestational age between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites, the ability to recognize fetal growth restriction (FGR) or excessive growth is questionable. These data provide a reference for Mexican Americans for clinical use and for future studies in identifying infants at risk for FGR or overgrowth.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L H Mortensen, F Diderichsen, A Arntzen, M Gissler, S Cnattingius, O Schnor, G Davey-Smith, and A-M Nybo Andersen Social inequality in fetal growth: a comparative study of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in the period 1981-2000 J. Epidemiol. Community Health, April 1, 2008; 62(4): 325 - 331. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. S. Nielsen, L. Mortensen, U. Nygaard, O. Schnor, O. B. Christiansen, and A.-M. N. Andersen Brothers and Reduction of the Birth Weight of Later-born Siblings Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2008; 167(4): 480 - 484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. P. Agans, N. Deeb-Sossa, and W. D. Kalsbeek Mexican Immigrants and the Use of Cognitive Assessment Techniques in Questionnaire Development Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, May 1, 2006; 28(2): 209 - 230. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. K. Porter, S. D. Putnam, K. L. Hunting, and M. R. Riddle The Effect of Trihalomethane and Haloacetic Acid Exposure on Fetal Growth in a Maryland County Am. J. Epidemiol., August 15, 2005; 162(4): 334 - 344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. C. Whitaker Predicting Preschooler Obesity at Birth: The Role of Maternal Obesity in Early Pregnancy Pediatrics, July 1, 2004; 114(1): e29 - e36. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. Hediger, M. D. Overpeck, R. J. Kuczmarski, and W. J. Ruan Association Between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Children JAMA, May 16, 2001; 285(19): 2453 - 2460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Buekens, F. Notzon, M. Kotelchuck, and A. Wilcox Why Do Mexican Americans Give Birth to Few Low-Birth-Weight Infants? Am. J. Epidemiol., August 15, 2000; 152(4): 347 - 351. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L Hediger, M. D Overpeck, W J. Ruan, and J. F Troendle Early infant feeding and growth status of US-born infants and children aged 4-71 mo: analyses from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2000; 72(1): 159 - 167. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]