Marginal increase average birth weight
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The average weight at birth of boys and girls has increased marginally. In the period 1989-1991, the average baby weighed 3,372 grams at birth, compared to 3,434 grams in the period 2004-2006. Over 5 percent of newborn babies had a low birth weight, i.e. less than 2,500 grams. Eight in every thousand babies had an extremely low birth weight, i.e. less than 1,500 grams. On average, boys weighed 100 grams more than girls at birth.
Birth length has hardly changed. The average length of newborn boys and girls is 50.6 and 50.1 cm respectively. Approximately four in every hundred newborn babies are smaller than 46 cm.