Mean Birth Weight and Mean placental Weight among Deliveries in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction: Placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, provide thermo-regulation to the fetus, waste elimination, and gas exchange. The present study was undertaken to look for mean birth weight and placental weight among deliveries in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital of Nepal. Ethical clearance was taken from institutional review comittee of hospital. Mothers with term and preterm gestation, their infants and the placentas were the subjects for the study. The study was conducted on 158 term and preterm deliveries. Placental weight, birth weight, gestational age, neonates' gender, weight, length and head circumference were recorded. Results: The mean of weight of total 158 placentas was 449.24 +/- 82.07 g and the mean of birth weights was 2872.84 +/- 478.88 g. Out of 158 deliveries, 138 (87.4%) babies were of term gestation and 20 (12.6%) babies were preterm. Conclusions: Mean birth weight and placental weights are similar to that found on similar studies done on other hospitals. Knowing the mean placental weight and birth weight which relates to different functional dimensions of placenta and baby growth helps for further evaluation of placenta and baby.