The Low Birth Weight Baby

Abstract

Physiological and biochemical maturity is essential for adjustment to extrauterine life and independent survival; in those cases where pregnancy could reach full term and was not interrupted by maternal ill health, the foetus will develop to full capacity and will have adequate vitality to withstand the rigors of labour. However, in most cases, it is not possible to know the gestation age accurately and some other criterion like the weight or length or performance of the baby has to be used to assess maturity. Experience has shown that the size of the baby at birth has an important bearing on survival and so birth weight is commonly used as the yardstick of maturity.