Development of Local Birth Weight Reference Based on Gestational Age and Sex in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Purpose Percentile reference of babies’ birth weight is an effective reference tool for early detection of the risk of neonatal morbidity and impaired growth. However, the lack of minimum local and national perinatal data makes its development in Indonesia difficult. This study aims to develop a local birth weight percentile reference for babies based on gestational age and sex by utilizing local data in South Kalimantan Province which is one of the provinces with the highest neonatal mortality rate in Indonesia. Patients and Methods All single live newborns who were born and were recorded in 20 primary healthcare centers, between 1 June 2016 and 30 June 2017, were included in the study. Birth weight percentiles of infants were calculated using the weighted average method. The study focused on neonates born with gestational age from 36 to 40 weeks. Results A local birth weight reference for babies has been developed. According to our local reference, the proportion of male newborns with a birth weight < 10th percentile was higher (7.0%) than the existing Indonesian (4.2–4.3%) and international references (3.3–6.2%). Similarly, the proportion of female newborns with a birth weight <10th percentile was higher (6.5%) than the existing Indonesian references (3.6–4.4%) and the global reference (5.8%) but lower than the Intergrowth 21st project (7.2%). The differences suggest that relative birth weight will likely be underestimated (overestimated) if other percentile references are used for the local population. Conclusion A local birth weight percentile reference for babies in South Kalimantan Province based on gestational age (36–40 weeks) and sex has been developed. Access to the local data, as baseline information, will allow the compilation and comparison of pregnancy-related outcomes across provinces in Indonesia. Consequently, reliable national perinatal data can be strengthened to establish the national references for newborns’ anthropometric measurements.