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Infant Macrosomia among First Nations in British Columbia, Prevalence, Trends and Characteristics is available to download as a pdf file in whole (including appendices) or by the report and appendices separately.
Report Introduction
Relatively high birth weights have been characteristic of First Nations births for many decades. Recently the clinical repercussions of macrosomia have been studied and interest is growing because of the potentially deleterious effect of macrosomia on birth outcomes. The nature and extent of the effects of macrosomia among First Nations are not well understood and relevant population-based data are scarce. To address those issues, the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada sponsored this study to investigate macrosomia among First Nations births in British Columbia, its physiological and pathological aetiology, and its association with other variables.
The British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency routinely compiles and maintains a high-quality linked perinatal database with information on maternal, pregnancy, and birth characteristics and infant outcomes. The database contains a unique First Nations birth identifier unavailable in most other canadian provinces and a 99% linkage rate to infant deaths. Using this database, the study was commissioned to examine:
- The prevalence of macrosomic births including their secular, demographic, and geographic distribution.
- The physiologic and pathologic aetiology of macrosomia.
- The repercussions of macrosomia on birth outcomes.
- Perinatal outcomes among First Nations.
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