In 1976, a survey was made of the birth-weight of live births in the maternity hospitals in the city of S. Paulo, Brazil and was used to calculate the distribution of birth-weight in the city. Incidence of birth weight lower than 2,501 grams and between 2,501 and 3,000 grams, 9.7% and 28.4%, was two times greater than that expected in a developed city and occurred more often in public hospitals than in private hospitals.
Birth weight