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. 2017 Mar 21;136(1):3–49. doi: 10.1159/000457967

Table 1.

Definitions of birth weight categories and preterm birth

Category Definition
Birth weight categories
Normal birth weight >2,500 and <4,000 g (usually)
Large for gestational age >2 SD above the mean birth weight for gestational age
Low birth weight <2,500 g
Very low birth weight <1,500 g
Appropriate for gestational age ±2 SD of the mean birth weight for gestational age
Small for gestational age >2 SD below the mean birth weight for gestational age
Intrauterine growth restriction Evidence of fetal malnutrition and growth restriction at any time during gestation

Gestational categories
Extremely preterm <28 weeks’ gestation
Very preterm <32 and >28 weeks’ gestation
Moderately preterm <34 and >32 weeks’ gestation
Late preterm <37 and >34 weeks’ gestation
Full term >37 weeks’ gestation

Term fetal macrosomia implies fetal growth beyond a specific weight, usually 4.0 or 4.5 kg, regardless of fetal gestational age [18, 19]. In this document, we use the term “growth restriction” to refer to both SGA and IUGR [reprinted with permission from 20].