Comparison of Birth Weight Changes among Neonates Born by Vaginal Delivery and Caesarean Delivery

Objective: A normal Indian newborn weighs between 2500 to 3500 grams at birth. This study aims at comparison of the birth weight changes among neonates born by vaginal delivery (VD) and Caesarean delivery (CS). Methods: Descriptive research design was adopted. One hundred neonates from the postnatal ward of a University teaching hospital with 50 neonates each delivered by VD and CS were selected conveniently. Data on demographic, maternal, neonatal variables and newborn weight after birth for three consecutive days were collected. Results: Each group had 58% male and 42% female neonates. Birth weight loss ranged from 2% to 8% among the neonates delivered by VD and CS. About 30% of newborns delivered by VD lost 3-4% of weight compared to 7-10% weight loss among 48% CS born neonates on the first day after birth. Comparison of mean weight loss between the newborn delivered by VD (7.04±3.35) and CS (7.47±2.91) on the third day of birth had no statistical difference. Sex of the newborn and initiation of breast feeding had significant association with weight loss among neonates delivered by CS (p<0.05). Conclusion: Change in birth weight is an indicator to assess newborn wellbeing and breastfeeding adequacy in the first few days of life. The study shows that type of delivery, SVD or LSCS does not influence the percentage of weight loss among the neonates.