Perinatal mortality by birthweight centile

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Detection of abnormal fetal growth is vital to antenatal care, and traditionally birthweights that are 90th centile are classified as small or large for gestational age (LGA). Evidence regarding outcomes for birthweight centiles outside these extremes remains unclear. AIMS: To evaluate the relationship between birthweight centile and perinatal death and determine the 'optimum' birthweight centile with the lowest rate of perinatal mortality. METHOD: Data on all Victorian births from 1999 to 2008 were stratified into smaller subsets than the traditional small for gestational age (SGA) (90th centile) and analysed by all gestations, for term births alone, and using the 'fetus at risk..