Secular trend in size at birth of Vietnamese newborns during the last 2 decades (1980-2000)

The aim of the study was to investigate the secular changes in size at birth of Vietnamese newborns, and to determine the relationship between size at birth of the infants and nutritional status of their parents. Length, weight, mid upper arm circumference and head circumference of 586 newborns from the two maternity houses Hoan Kiem and Hai Ba Trung in Hanoi, Vietnam were measured. Information on socioeconomic conditions, health status, weight, and height of the parents were also obtained. There was a significant increase of birth weight (190 g, P=0.008; T-test) and length (1.3 cm, P=0.001; T-test) of Vietnamese newborns compared to those of newborns of the 1980's (1980-1984). There was a positive secular trend in parent's height and weight after a period of one and a half decades (height and weight increase of mothers: 2.6 kg and 1.9 cm, respectively; height and weight increase of fathers: 4.5 kg and 1.6 cm, respectively). The data showed that the birth weight of infants in the Capital of Vietnam have caught up with those of infants from richer societies in the Northern hemisphere.