乌鲁木齐市新生儿出生体重和身长影响因素分析

目的:探讨乌鲁木齐市新生儿出生体重和身长的影响因素。方法:回顾性收集和整理乌鲁木齐市某三甲医院2013年全年产妇及新生儿的基本资料,采用多重线性回归方法对新生儿出生体重和身长的影响因素进行分析。结果:新生儿出生体重单因素分析显示产妇年龄、民族、居住地、胎数、性别、孕周、孕次比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),产次和新生儿出生月份比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);出生身长单因素分析显示,产妇年龄、民族、居住地、胎数、性别、孕周、孕次、产次比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),新生儿出生月份比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);多重线性回归分析显示新生儿出生体重与产妇年龄、居住地、胎数、新生儿性别、孕周有关;出生身长与产妇年龄、居住地、胎数、新生儿性别、孕周、孕次有关。结论:多种因素共同作用于乌鲁木齐市新生儿出生体重和身长,这对进一步完善新疆地区孕前及孕期保健服务工作,促进新生儿整体健康水平有积极作用。     

2003~2012年汉中市南郑县足月单胎活产新生儿出生体重分析

目的:探讨足月单胎活产新生儿出生体重分布及相关因素对新生儿出生体重的影响。方法:分析2003年1月1日~2012年12月31日在汉中市南郑县人民医院产科分娩的足月单胎新生儿出生体重,记录其出生体重及孕妇年龄、孕周、职业、居住地理位置、不同年度对新生儿出生体重的影响,并进行统计分析。结果:2003~2012年收住孕38~42周孕妇8 469例,新生儿出生体重分布在1 700~5 100 g,平均(3 241.89±399.81)g,平均出生体重随孕周增加而增重(P<0.001);26~35岁孕妇分娩的新生儿出生体重较高,各年龄组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.001),男性新生儿出生体重明显重于女性,在平川丘陵地区居住的孕妇所生新生儿出生体重较在山区居住的孕妇所生新生儿出生体重重,产次为2~3次的孕妇所生新生儿出生体重较产次为1次和产次为4次的孕妇所生新生儿出生体重重(P<0.001),农民与职工孕妇所生新生儿出生体重比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),不同孕周新生儿出生体重各年度比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.001),以2003、2012和2011年较重。结论:新生儿出生体重与性别、居住地理位置、产次、年度及孕妇年龄有关,与孕妇职业无关,新生儿出生体重有逐年增加的趋势。     

妊娠高血压综合征尿蛋白的丢失对新生儿出生体重的影响

目的: 几乎没有研究报道妊娠高血压综合征 (妊高征 ) 患者尿蛋白对新生儿出生体重的影响, 该研究欲探讨妊高征患者不同水平尿蛋白对新生儿出生体重的影响关系。方法: 1997年 1月 ~2004年 6月期间, 住院分娩患中、重度妊高征产妇 136例, 对新生儿出生体重与各种因素进行回归分析及t检验分析。结果: 单变量回归分析尿蛋白、孕龄分别与新生儿出生体重有高度显著性关系 (P<0. 01); 尿蛋白和孕龄一起进入多元回归分析, 校正影响因素, 尿蛋白和孕龄仍然是影响新生儿出生体重显著性因素 (P<0 .01); 与妊高征尿蛋白 ( +) 比较, 尿蛋白 无显著性影响新生儿出生体重 (P>0. 05), 尿蛋白 有显著性影响新生儿出生体重 (P<0. 01)。结论: 新生儿出生体重与妊高征患者尿蛋白丢失有关, 尿蛋白 丢失将严重影响新生儿出生体重。     

空气污染与出生体重关系的病例对照研究

目的 研究空气污染物可吸入颗粒物(PM10)、二氧化硫、二氧化氮对新生儿出生体重的影响.方法 收集了广州市某区2003～2005年孕满37周时分娩,且婴儿出生体重低于2 500克的产妇为低体重组,按照同一天分娩,选取婴儿出生体重高于2 500克的产妇为正常组.调查的因素包括产妇的年龄、职业、文化程度、出生地、是否有准生证、孕周、是否有高危因素、末次月经时间、分娩日期、孕次、产次;产妇丈夫的职业、文化程度;新生儿的性别、出生身高、体重.用2002～2005年的空气污染数据估计暴露水平.结果 孕早期可吸入颗粒物(PM10)暴露低出生体重组高于正常组,孕中期、孕期可吸入颗粒物(PM10)暴露低出生体重组低于正常组,差异有显著性(t值分别为3.837、-11.080、-5.525,P＜0.01);孕中期二氧化硫暴露、孕期二氧化硫暴露两组之间比较低出生体重组低于正常组,差异有显著性(t值分别为-3.350、-2.015,P＜0.01).产妇年龄、产次、孕次低出生体重组高于正常组,妊娠天数低出生体重组低于正常组,两组之间比较有显著性差异(t值分别为55.934、17.367、12.756、-23.047,均P＜0.01);孕妇出生地(OR=0.76,95% CI:0.63～0.92)、孕妇所属地区(OR=2.41,95% CI:2.19～2.65)、孕期高危因素(OR=8.51,95% CI:7.22～10.04)、有无准生证(OR=3.01,95% CI:2.58～3.52)、婴儿性别(OR=1.56,95% CI:1.35～1.81)、孕妇文化程度(OR=0.88,95% CI:0.78～0.99)与低出生体重的发生有关,均有显著性统计学意义(P＜0.05).多元Logistic回归分析显示控制其他混杂因素后,孕晚期二氧化氮(β=0.639,P＜0.01)和可吸入颗粒物(PM10)(β=-0.348,P＜0.01)暴露水平在模型中有统计学意义.结论 空气污染物与出生体重有关,空气污染对妊娠结局的影响值得关注.     

2219例产妇围产期相关因素与其新生儿健康指标的相关性分析

目的 探讨产妇的围产期情况与其新生儿体重和Apgar评分的相关性,分析影响产妇和新生儿健康的主要因素,为孕期保健干预和新生儿疾病的防治措施提供理论依据.方法 选取2015年在西安交通大学第一附属医院进行分娩的产妇2 219例,对产妇的分娩年龄、初潮年龄、妊娠周期、孕期体重增加、孕次、产次、流产次数及其新生儿Apgar评分进行分析,并对新生儿体重的影响因素进行回归分析.结果 纳入研究的产妇平均分娩年龄较高,且随着分娩年龄段的升高,其新生儿平均出生体重呈现先升高后降低的趋势,不同分娩年龄段产妇所生新生儿体重比较,差异有统计学意义(F=14.145,P=0.000).不同初潮年龄段产妇所生新生儿平均体重比较差异无统计学意义(F=1.153,P=0.221),随着产妇妊娠周期的增加,其新生儿平均体重呈上升趋势,差异有统计学意义(F=1 892.945,P=0.000),随着产妇孕期体重的增加,新生儿平均体重呈较小的上升趋势,差异有统计学意义(F=4.614,P=0.003);新生儿平均出生体重随着产妇孕次的增加而降低,差异有统计学意义(F=33.788,P=0.000);新生儿平均出生体重随着产妇产次的增加而呈升高趋势,不同产次的产妇所生新生儿体重比较差异有统计学意义(F=7.880,P=0.000);不同流产次数的产妇所生新生儿体重比较差异无统计学意义(F=1.636,P=0.163).妊娠周期与新生儿1min、5min和10minApgar评分密切相关,且呈正相关(r值分别为0.129、0.143、0.148,均P<0.05);产次与新生儿1min、5min和10min Apgar评分呈负相关(r值分别为-0.085、-0.071、-0.066,均P<0.05).回归分析筛选出来的影响新生儿出生体重的因素有妊娠周期(P=0.000)、孕期体重增加情况(P=0.000)、婚姻状况(P=0.021).结论 妊娠周期、产妇的产次、妊娠期体重增加情况、婚姻状况与新生儿健康关系密切,医护人员在孕产妇围产期应注意保健教育干预,加强孕期保健,提高新生儿的健康状况.     

乌鲁木齐市维吾尔族和汉族妇女孕期增重与新生儿出生体重的关系

目的:了解乌鲁木齐市维吾尔族和汉族妇女孕期体重增加现状,并探讨其对新生儿出生体重的影响。方法:以乌鲁木齐市维吾尔族、汉族产妇为调查对象,采用问卷调查的形式,对714例孕产妇进行既往生育史、孕前体重、孕期增重、新生儿体重的调查,比较分析不同民族孕妇孕期增重及新生儿出生体重。结果:乌鲁木齐市产妇孕前BMI指数为(21.63±3.68)kg/m2;孕期增重(16.89±5.82)kg;新生儿出生体重(3.30±0.51)kg;维吾尔族和汉族之间的孕前BMI、孕期增重、新生儿出生体重差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05);维吾尔族低体重儿和巨大儿发生率高于汉族(P<0.05);汉族新生儿体重分组不同,产妇的孕期增重及孕前BMI差异有统计学意义,Pearson相关分析显示新生儿出生体重与孕期增重有关。结论:孕期增重对新生儿出生体重有影响,孕前控制体重、孕期控制适宜的体重增长有利于母婴的健康。     

初产妇孕前体重及孕期增重对新生儿体重影响

目的 了解初产妇孕前体重和孕期增重对新生儿体重的影响。方法 以2018年哈尔滨某医院产科无妊娠期合并症的健康初产孕妇及其单胎活产儿为研究对象,收集产妇产检和分娩记录,对产妇进行问卷调查,按照中国成人BMI范围标准对产妇进行分组,分析影响新生儿体重的相关因素及产妇孕前体重及孕期增重对新生儿体重的影响。结果 本研究共对826对健康初产妇及其新生儿进行调查,初产妇平均年龄为(26.36 ± 4.21)岁,孕前BMI平均为(22.18 ± 3.15),文化程度以大专及以上为主,占46.12%,居住地以城镇为主,占83.41%,孕期增重均值为(15.26 ± 4.12)kg,平均孕周为(38.83 ± 1.08)周。在826名新生儿中,男、女性别比为1.15∶1,低出生体重儿17例(占2.1%),正常出生体重儿748名(占90.6%),巨大儿61例(占7.4%)。家庭人均月收入、孕前体重、孕期增重情况不同的产妇分娩新生儿体重差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.01)。孕前体重、孕期增重不同的产妇分娩的新生儿体重分布差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.01)。孕前体重、孕期增重均与新生儿出生体重呈正相关(r =0.147、0.239)。结论 初产妇孕前体重、孕期增重影响新生儿出生体重,孕前肥胖与孕期增重过多易导致分娩出巨大儿的风险增加,应加强初产妇的产前健康教育。     

西城区10年户籍新生儿体重及影响因素分析

目的 了解西城区户籍新生儿2001～2010年出生体重情况,探讨10年间西城区户籍新生儿母亲因素对出生体重的影响,为有效做好围生保健提供参考依据.方法 通过<北京市母子保健健康档案>获取完整的孕产妇人口学、孕产期保健和分娩资料分析产妇文化程度、孕次、产妇年龄与新生儿出生体重的关系.结果 西城区近10年户籍新生儿平均出生体重为(3 362.5±471.9 )g,低出生体重和巨大儿发生率分别为3.4 %和7.1 %,母亲不同文化程度、不同年龄新生儿出生体重比较,差异有统计学意义;母亲再次妊娠,低出生体重和巨大儿的比例均高于初次妊娠,差异有统计学意义.结论 母亲文化程度、妊娠次数、妊娠年龄影响新生儿出生体重的重要因素;加强健康教育以及围生期保健有助于提高正常体重儿出生.     

重度子痫前期患者的分娩时机及方式探讨

目的:探讨重度子痫前期患者终止妊娠的时机与方式。方法:对28~41周的155例重度子痫前期患者临床资料进行回顾性分析,观察不同孕周孕妇以及新生儿的妊娠结局。结果:全部产妇均痊愈出院,101例以剖宫产终止妊娠(占65.16%),足月新生儿无1例死亡,早产儿死亡14例,其中孕龄<34周且新生儿体重<1500 g的早产儿死亡率明显增高。不同孕周的孕妇在年龄、血压、分娩方式等方面比较无显著性差异(P>0.05),在24 h尿蛋白定量方面比较有显著性差异(P<0.05)。不同孕周的新生儿在体重、新生儿窒息、新生儿死亡方面比较有显著性差异(P<0.01)。不同分娩方式的新生儿在新生儿窒息、新生儿死亡方面比较无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论:对重度子痫前期患者孕龄达34周,估计胎儿体重>1500 g,可积极终止妊娠,分娩方式以剖宫产为主。     

1998～2007年住院分娩活产儿出生体重变化

目的:了解10年住院分娩活产儿出生体重变化。方法:回顾性分析该院1998~2007年住院分娩(孕周≥28周)活产儿出生体重,对出生体重变化及相关因素进行分析。结果:10年活产儿平均出生体重(3 143±496)g,年度间差异无统计学意义(F=1.796 3,P=0.064)。各个月份之间出生体重差异有统计学意义(F=2.425,P=0.005)。男婴、女婴体重差异有统计学意义(t=12.621,P<0.001)。孕周间出生体重差异有统计学意义(F=628.105,P<0.001),孕周与体重呈显著正相关(Pearson系数r=0.578,P<0.001)。不同孕次间出生体重差异有统计学意义(F=10.613,P<0.001)。不同产次的活产儿出生体重的差异有统计学意义(F=8.739,P<0.001)。妊娠胎数与出生体重呈负相关(r=-0.285,P<0.001)。产妇年龄与出生体重呈轻度正相关(r=0.043,P<0.001)。年度间巨大儿构成比的差异无统计学意义(2χ=4.392,P=0.884);低体重儿构成比的差异有统计学意义(2χ=23.229,P=0.006),有上升趋势(2χ=15.111,P<0.001);未足月低体重儿构成比呈上升趋势(2χ=0.207,P=0.649)。结论:各年度活产儿出生体重总体无差异;出生体重与分娩月份、胎儿性别、孕周、胎数及产妇孕产次、年龄有关。10年间巨大儿构成比无增加趋势,低体重儿构成比有逐年增加趋势,其中未足月低体重儿构成比逐年明显增加。     

Association Between Changes in Smoking Habits in Subsequent Pregnancy and Infant Birth Weight in West Virginia

West Virginia has one of the highest prenatal smoking prevalence rates in the nation. While overall national prenatal smoking rates have been declining, the prevalence rates in West Virginia continue to climb. Smoking in pregnancy has been associated with deleterious health outcomes in infants, including decreased birth weight. Yet, minimal research has been done on changes in smoking behaviors over time and the association of the changes in infant birth weights. The aim of the current study is to examine the change in prenatal smoking status of West Virginia women and the associated changes in infant birth weights. Population-based secondary data analysis was conducted using West Virginia birth certificates for all singleton infant siblings born between 1989 and 2006, linked based on mother. Infants born to women who smoked during pregnancy had significantly lower birth weights than infants born to non-smokers. Repeated measures analysis used to examine the changes with time showed that women who smoked during their first pregnancy but refrained from smoking during their subsequent pregnancy had significantly increased birth weight for the second infant, and conversely, infants born to women who initiated smoking with the subsequent pregnancy had significantly decreased birth weight compared to the previous infant. Findings of the study may be used to inform and to guide the development of population focused interventions to decrease maternal prenatal smoking in first and in subsequent pregnancies in an effort to improve infant birth weight outcomes.     

The effect of incarceration during pregnancy on birth outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effect of incarceration during pregnancy on infant birth weight. METHODS: North Carolina prison records were matched to North Carolina birth certificates and health services records to identify 94 women who were incarcerated during one pregnancy but not incarcerated during another pregnancy. Paired analyses examined differences between the pregnancies in terms of the women''s characteristics and use of health services. A generalized estimating equations analysis modeled infant birth weight as a function of the number of days that a woman was incarcerated during pregnancy, accounting for the correlation between the birth weights of two infants born to the same mother and several potentially confounding variables. RESULTS: Since the women were significantly more likely to have been incarcerated during the second of the pair of pregnancies, as a group they were significantly older and had more children at the time of the incarcerated pregnancy than at the time of the home pregnancy. After controlling for important covariates, a higher number of pregnancy days spent incarcerated was found to be associated with higher infant birth weight. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that aspects of the prison environment such as shelter and regular meals may enhance pregnancy outcomes among very high risk women. Health professionals should join others in efforts to assure that health-promoting resources such as adequate shelter, nutritional support, and substance abuse treatment programs are available to all pregnant women.     

Variations in pregnancy outcomes by race among 10-14-year-old mothers in the United States.

This study used the 1983-86 U.S. Linked Live Birth-Infant Death Files to examine variations in pregnancy outcomes among 38,551 U.S. resident black and white adolescents ages 10 through 14. The birth rate was 4.29 per 1,000 for blacks, more than 7 times the rate for whites (.59 per 1,000). Black mothers had higher proportions of very low and low birth weight infants than did whites (very low birth weight: 3.7 versus 2.6; low birth weight: 15.0 versus 10.5). Neonatal and infant mortality rates were higher among very low birth weight and low birth weight white infants. Neonatal and infant mortality rates were similar for normal birth weight infants of both races, but were 3.7 to 7.4 times higher among black infants with birth weights more than 4,250 grams. Logistic regression indicated that black mothers were at higher risk for having infants who were low birth weight, very low birth weight, small for gestational age, preterm, and very preterm. There were no differences by race for neonatal, postneonatal, and infant mortality. While the risk for poor pregnancy outcomes is great among young adolescents, young black adolescents appear to be particularly vulnerable. Attempts to reduce unintended pregnancies in this group should receive highest priority.     

Aircraft noise and birth weight

Summary Data from six infant welfare centres in the vicinity of Amsterdam airport were analysed. Birth weights of 902 infants were related to aircraft noise levels to which the mother was exposed in pregnancy. The analysis was restricted to deliveries in hospital, single births and mothers aged 20–34 years.In high noise areas the mean birth weight was 69 g lower than in low noise areas. Of the infants in high noise areas 24% had a birth weight less than 3000g, compared with 18% in low noise areas.In the analysis the effect of sex of the infant, birth order and to some extent socio-economic status were taken into account. An effect of smoking seemed unlikely. The results, together with existing knowledge, give some suggestion that aircraft noise can decrease birth weight.     

低出生体重婴儿体重指数的动态变化及其临床意义

目的：观察不同出生体重儿在婴儿期体重指数（BMI）的变化规律，探讨低出血体重婴儿在婴儿期是否具有肥胖趋势。方法：对107例不同出生体重儿跟踪随访一年，观察出生时，6个月、9个月及1岁时的BMI，采用SPSS统计软件进行分析。结果：正常足月儿各时期BMI均值无性别差异，6个月时BMI达高峰，此后逐渐下降，1岁时BMI与出生时体重、身长、BMI呈显著正相关。巨大出生时BMI显著增高，但6个月后维持正常高水平。低出生体重儿生后9个月内BMI呈追赶趋势，1岁时其BMI明显低于对照组。结论：婴儿期BMI与出生时体重、身长、BMI呈正相关，低出生体重儿在婴儿期虽然存在BMI的追赶现象，但无肥胖趋势。     

Birth Weight and Infant Growth: Optimal Infant Weight Gain versus Optimal Infant Weight

Objective: Infant growth assessment often focuses on “optimal” infant weights and lengths at specific ages, while de-emphasizing infant weight gain. Objective of this study was to examine infant growth patterns by measuring infant weight gain relative to birth weight. Methods: We conducted this study based on data collected in a prospective cohort study including 3,302 births with follow up examinations of infants between the ages of 8 and 18 months. All infants were participants in the Louisiana State Women, Infant and Children Supplemental Food Program between 1999 and 2001. Growth was assessed by infant weight gain percentage (IWG%, defined as infant weight gain divided by birth weight) as well as by mean z-scores and percentiles for weight-for-age, length-for-age, and weight-for-length calculated based on growth charts published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Results: An inverse relationship was noted between birth weight category and IWG% (from 613.9% for infants with birth weights <1500 g to 151.3% for infants with birth weights of 4000 g or more). In contrast, low birth weight infants had lower weight-for-age, weight-for-length z-scores and percentiles compared to normal birth weight infants according to CDC growth charts. Conclusions: Although low birth weight infants had lower anthropometric measures compared to a national reference population, they had significant catch-up growth; High birth weight infants had significant slow-down growth. We suggest that growth assessments should compare infants’ anthropometric data to their own previous growth measures as well as to a reference population. Further studies are needed to identify optimal ranges of infant weight gain.     

BIRTH WEIGHT AND FAMILY STATUS REVISITED: EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRIAN REGISTER DATA

In this paper, we study the socio‐economic determinants of birth weight, with a focus on the mother's family status. We use Austrian birth register data covering all births between 1984 and 2007 and find that a mother's marriage is associated with a higher birth weight of the newborn, in the range of 40 to 60 g. The significant impact is retained if we include mother fixed effects or use an instrumental variable approach to account for unobserved mother heterogeneity. However, the magnitude of the causal effect (37 g) clearly indicates the importance of selection into marriage. Divorce around pregnancy results in significantly lower birth weights than the birth weights of babies born to single mothers. Family status effects in the 2000s are stronger than they were in the 1980s, and quantile regressions suggest that family effects are more pronounced at the lower quantiles of the birth weight distribution and less pronounced at higher quantiles. We conclude that the life situation of expectant mothers has an important influence on the birth weight of newborns, especially at the lower tail of the birth weight distribution. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Social factors and pregnancy weight gain in relation to infant birth weight: a study in public health centers in Rasht, Iran

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the relationship between total pregnancy weight gain, maternal educational level, working status and infant birth weight among mothers and infants in urban health centers in Rasht, Iran. DESIGN: Pregnant women from six different public health centers in urban areas were studied in a prospective design. Data on women's age, parity, level of education, working status, infant birth weight, mothers' height, and prepregnancy weight and total weight gain during pregnancy were collected. The subjects were grouped based on their prepregnancy BMI and according to Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendation for total pregnancy weight gain. The subjects were also categorized based on their years of schooling as less, intermediately and highly educated. In this study women were considered as either housewives or employed. SETTING: Public health centers in urban areas in Rasht, Iran. SUBJECTS: A total of 1914 pregnant women were studied. RESULTS:These data showed that pregnancy weight gain was not different between women with normal prepregnancy weight and underweight when educational levels and working status were taken into account. Besides, pregnancy weight gain was positively related to the level of education. Analysis of variance showed that infant birth weights were not similar in mothers who gain weight less, within and above recommended ranges. In all, 60% of the normal weight women and 56.7% of the underweight women had weight gain less than the lower cutoffs of IOM recommendation. Results of logistic regression analysis showed that low level of mother's education was the only predictor for low birth weight (LBW) (>12 y education OR = 0.27(0.10-0.69)) and 5-12 y education OR = 0.62 (0.2-0.94). CONCLUSION: These results showed that pregnancy weight gain lower recommended ranges are highly prevalent in Iranian women in public health centers in urban areas in Rasht. Moreover, mother's level of educational level may be considered as the most important determinant of birth weight and LBW in this population.     

Maternal weight gain during pregnancy in various immigrant communities living in France

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to estimate, by geographic origin, the average situation of pregnant women who recently immigrated into the Paris area, using weight gain during pregnancy and infant birth weight. METHODS: The clinical files of 559 pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic at the Lariboisière Hospital (Paris) in 1997 and gave birth in this same hospital were analyzed. The mothers had immigrated from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sri Lanka, China and metropolitan France. The successive body mass indexes were calculated for each woman, as well as the increase of this index during the first semester of gestation, until the third trimester and during the entire gestation. Averages in studied communities were compared with those of the non-immigrant population attending the same hospital department. The birth weights of infants from the different communities were compared with those of children born to non-immigrant mothers. RESULTS: Women from the various communities studied (with the exception of the Turkish community) showed a lower gestation weight gain than non-immigrant French women. Independently of the pregestational weight, weight gain during pregnancy accounted for 20% of the initial weight among women from North Africa, Turkey and China who gave birth to children whose birth weight was not significantly different from that of the non-immigrant French children. The mean weight gain corresponded to 15.8% of the pregestation weight in Sub-Saharan women and 18% in Sri Lanka women. Birth weights of children in these two communities were significantly lower than the French reference population. Compared with the weights observed in their original country, the frequency of low birth weight was lower and the mean birth weight was higher. CONCLUSION: Women coming from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia who recently immigrated into France gave birth to children of satisfactory birthweight. The number of low birth weights decreased to the frequencies observed in their original countries. Irrespective for their reasons for immigrating, immigrant families living in France have newborns with a sufficient birth weight to allow satisfactory growth.     

Mifepristone-induced early abortion and outcome of subsequent wanted pregnancy

Follow-up information on subsequent pregnancies after mifepristone (RU486)-induced abortion is scarce. The authors examined whether one mifepristone-induced first-trimester abortion affects the outcome of a subsequent wanted pregnancy. In a study conducted in 1998-2001 at antenatal clinics in Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai, China, the authors enrolled 4,925 women with no history of induced abortion, 4,931 women with one previous mifepristone-induced abortion, and 4,800 women with one previous surgical abortion and followed them through pregnancy and childbirth. The adjusted odds ratio for preterm delivery in women with one mifepristone abortion compared with women with no abortion was 0.77 (95% confidence interval: 0.61, 0.98). Although the mean birth weight of infants born to women with mifepristone abortion was 33 g (95% confidence interval: 17, 49) higher than that of infants born to women with no abortion, the frequencies of low birth weight and mean lengths of pregnancy were similar. There were no significant differences in risk of preterm delivery, frequency of low birth weight, or mean infant birth weight in the comparisons of women with previous mifepristone abortion and women with surgical abortion. This study suggests that one early abortion induced by mifepristone in nulliparous women has no adverse effects on the outcome of a subsequent pregnancy.