Asian Journal of Medical Principles and Clinical Practice

Background: Fetal macrosomia is birth weight ≥ 4000 grams, besides gestational diabetes, it could be caused by maternal demographic factors.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the maternal and fetal demographic predictors of fetal macrosomia.

Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 100 women who delivered macrosomic babies at Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Yenagoa in Nigeria.

Information retrieved was patient’s bio-data, maternal weight and height, booking status, gestational age at delivery, and fetal sex.

Results: The rate of fetal macrosomia was 6.6%, the mean gestational age was 39.5 ± 0.98 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 4.28 ± 0.29kg. The mean maternal age was 30.98 ± 4.4 years, and the mean BMI was 30.6 ± 5.13 km/m².

The rate of fetal macrosomia was significantly higher among women with advanced maternal age (≥ 35 years), p = 0.001, grand multiparous women, odds ratio = 0.05[0.01, 0.35] p = 0.001, and women of Ijaw tribe, odds ratio = 2.48[1.40, 4.40] p = 0.01.

The rate was also higher among women with tertiary education, p = 0.001, obese women p = 0.001, and male babies, odds ratio = 1.91[1.09, 3.34], p = 0.02.

On multiple linear regressions, the maternal and fetal demographic factors did not give a good fit on the regression model, as all the factors combined could only explain 15.4% of the fetal macrosomia (r² = 15.4%).

Conclusion: Though maternal and fetal demographic factors are undoubtedly important in the pathogenesis of fetal macrosomia, their role as predictors is unremarkable, as demonstrated by our regression model. It implies that the bulk of the factors responsible (in this study) are not demographic; they could be diabetes mellitus, and genetic factors.