Developing maternal socio-demographic and anthropometric protocol: determining birth size and delivery outcomes at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria.

Objective: The study aims to determine the influence of maternal socio-demographic and anthropometric parameters on birth size and delivery outcomes at AE-FUTHA Methods: The study involved a cross section of pregnant mothers and their newborn babies. A total of 400 pregnant mothers that were certified by an obstetrician as being healthy in the antenatal ward of AE-FUTHA, Nigeria from 1st May 2020 to 1st June 2021, were involved. Informed consent was voluntarily signed by each participant. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics and Research committees of AEFUTHA. The study adopted direct standard anthropometric measurements, obstetric protocol and a questionnaire approach. Maternal and neonatal anthropometric features, socio-demographic factors and delivery outcomes were considered in this study, using guidelines of Institute of Medicine. Results: There was a significant difference between the birth length of male and female neonates (p<0.05). The mode of delivery of male neonates was strongly associated with maternal degree of pain during labor. Furthermore, there is an association between Apgar score at 5 minutes of birth for male neonates and maternal parity (p<0.05). The logistic regression shows that the mode of delivery of male neonates depends on the maternal degree of pain during labor. Conclusion: The study established that maternal sociodemography and anthropometry are determinants of delivery outcomes. It also suggested that gynecologists and nurses should place great emphasis on weight control measures during antenatal visits to reduce birth complications, especially through spontaneous vaginal delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]