Size at birth of infants in a Saudi maternity hospital.

The size at birth was assessed of Saudi infants who were delivered in the main Maternity hospital in Riyadh and who represented a large proportion of infants born in the city. The mean (SD) weight, length and head circumference at birth of Saudi singletons were 3226 (534) g, 49.5 (2.0) cm and 34.5 (1.5) cm, respectively. Of all infants 5.9 percent were born preterm. The proportion of low birthweight infants was 7.9 percent, of which 44 percent were born at or past term. Teenage mothers had a low birthweight rate of 15.2 percent and primipara of 13.9 percent, however. Of all singletons 2.2 percent were small for gestational age and 3.7 percent of term infants had a Ponderal index less than 3rd percentile of the standard. During the final weeks of gestation the fetal growth rate was similar to that of Western populations. Compared with other developing countries the birth weight distribution was favorable and seemed to be influenced to a smaller extent than in these countries by socioeconomic and environmental factors.