Average height or weight may reflect the overall situation of anthropometric indices of a region or a country. In the same way the average birth weight for Indian babies has been fixed at 2.5 kgs by WHO. Such a statistical average in respect of birth weight is not scientific. The expected birth weight should be calculated based on the size of the mother and her pelvic characteristics.
Imposing 2.5 kg as normal birth weight in a small statured mother, in mothers with contracted pelvis and in mothers with similar conditions is not only unscientific but also dangerous to the mother. Because of this preoccupation with 2.5 kg birth weight as normal many mothers have to undergo caesarean section for delivery. Caesarean section is not always safe and the mother may suffer from significant morbidity and even mortality sometimes. In the case of birth weight, the mother has to undergo the…
