OBJECTIVETo understand the distribution of live birth weight in China.

METHODSA national survey on live birth weight was performed during July-October, 1998 in China, with stratified sampling. Totally, 22 350 live newborns (11 584 males and 10 766 females) with 28 weeks or more of gestation were measured for their birth weight in the sampling sites during 1998.

RESULTSThe ratio of male to female newborns measured was 1.08. The rates of multiple birth and preterm birth (< 37 weeks of gestation) were 1.8% and 3.5%, respectively. Live birth weight was higher in the urban areas (3 301 g) than that in the rural area (3 225 g) (t = 9.4. P < 0.001), the highest in the coastal areas (3 262 g), middle in the inland areas (3 254 g) and the lowest in the remote areas (3 115 g) (F = 177.9, P < 0.001), with a decreasing trend. Live birth weight in the first-class rural areas approximated to that in the urban areas, and that in the second-class, third-class and fourth-class rural areas decreased significantly. The average live birth weight in the fourth-class rural areas was 200 g lower than that in the urban areas.

CONCLUSIONSGenerally, the average live birth weight in China was closed to that in the developed countries. But, a big difference in the average live birth weight between regions with varied economic development and health care condition was observed. An intervention measure should be implemented in the poverty-stricken rural areas to increase their average live birth weight.