Morbidity Risk at Birth for Asian Indian Small for Gestational Age Infants

Whether the traditional definition of small for gestational age (SGA) is an appropriate marker of risk for populations that have relatively lower birthweight is unclear. We determined proportions of White and Asian Indian SGA infants and those admitted to the special care nursery. Compared with White infants, Asian Indian infants were more likely to be SGA (14.5% versus 2.7%) and more likely to be admitted to the special care nursery (20.7% versus 3.7%), suggesting that traditional definitions of SGA may be applicable as a marker of risk. (Am J Public Health. 2010;100:820-822. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.165001)