Aim To assess secular trends in birth weights of liveborn infants in
Croatia from 1983 to 2003.
Methods Of a total of 959 591 liveborn infants in the study period,
384 367 were born in the prewar (1983-1989), 226 226 during the
war (1991-1995), and 348 998 in the postwar (1996-2003) period.
The birth weight of liveborn infants was assessed by 500 g weight
groups on the basis of data provided by the Croatian National Institute
of Public Health.
Results The gradual and significant increase in the share of infants
with birth weight =3500 g (P<0.001) was paralleled by a reduction
in the share of infants with birth weights 2500-3449 g (P<0.001)
and <2500g (P<0.05) in the study period. There was a positive trend
in the proportion of 4000-4499 g, =4500 g (P<0.001 for both), and
500-999 g (P = 0.002) birth weight groups and negative trend in
1000-1499 g, 2500-2999 g, and 3000-3499 g weight groups (P<0.001
for all). During the war period, the proportion of liveborn infants in
the 2500-3499 g weight group decreased in comparison with prewar
proportion; this trend continued in the postwar period (P<0.001
for both). In the war period, the proportion of liveborn infants with
birth weights of 2000-2499 g was significantly larger (P<0.001) and
that of =4500 g significantly smaller in comparison with the prewar
and postwar proportions (P<0.001 for both).
Conclusion Positive secular changes in infant birth weights observed
in the prewar and postwar period contrasted negative changes during
the war period in Croatia. This finding may suggest the association
between war suffering and stress and changes in birth weights of newborns.