Body size at birth by gestational age at the general hospital of Bari (South Italy). A preliminary note. Human Evolution Vol. 23 n 3-4

Neonatological charts are a very important measurement instru¬ment for a correct neonatal auxological evaluation. A prominent contribution was made over 40 years ago by Lubchenco L.O. et al. (1963 – 1966) who proposed an anthropometrical classifica¬tion of neonates based on their intrauterine growth charts, with specific reference to birth weight, body length and head circu¬mference by gestational age. The purpose of the present work is the acquisition of data related to anthropometrical parameters of births at the general hospital of Bari for a vertical comparison of a sample taken at ten-year intervals in the course of the last twenty years (1987, 1997 and 2007). The results of this work clearly show a tendency to earlier birth for those born in 2007. The most significant data, with regard to the mean values of weight, body length and head circumference of neonates in re¬lation to their gestational age, is that for the 37th week of 2007. The sample was submitted to the Kruskal-Wallis test both for the 37th gestational week alone and for all the gestational weeks. For the 37th week significant differences emerge between 2007 and the other two years with regard to the mean weight and head circumference, but not for mean body length.