Influence of Father’s Weight and Height on Weight of Male and Female Newborns

The study included 1,596 newborns and their parents living in Šibenik County, Croatia. All newborns are born between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation, with no congenital anomalies and from a single pregnancy. Fathers and mothers of male babies are older than those of girl babies (p < 0.01). Mean values for weight, height, BMI in parents and the woman’s parity are equal (p = 0.05). Pregnancy with male baby lasts longer and the babies are heavier (p < 0.05). Where the fathers weight between 70 and 79 kg and 80 to 89 kg, and where the fathers are 175 to 179 cm or 180 to 184 cm tall with normal BMI the male babies are heavier than the females at birth (p < 0.05). Increased weight, height and BMI in the father increase the birth weight of both male and female babies (p < 0.00001). The authors concludes that parents (father and/or mother) of male babies are older than those of girls, that pregnancy for males babies lasts longer and that male babies are born heavier than girls. With increased weight, and height and BMI in the father, the birth weight of both male and female babies increases