Customised birthweight centiles

Lesley McCowan

Dr Lesley McCowan has developed a new way of classifying a baby’s size at birth. Customised birthweight centiles take into account the size and ethnicity of the mother, and adjusts newborn size accordingly. Compared with European babies, Pacific Island women have heavier babies, while Asian and Indian women have babies that are lighter. In the past, babies born to big women and women of Pacific ethnicity may not have been recognised as small. Using customised birthweight centiles, small babies born to large or Pacific Island women can now be detected.

Having small babies can be recurrent for some mothers, so diagnosing the first one will lead to preventative treatment. Improved monitoring during future pregnancies may also improve the baby’s birthweight and long term health.