ABSTRACT Objective: To compare the frequencies of newborn diseases in those newborns classified according to a weight/length rate and those classified by the adequacy weight for gestational age. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study by record assessment was carried out enclosing all the live newborns at Hospital Geral do Grajaú, from September to December, 2009 (n =577) classified according to the rate weight/length and also to the adequacy weight for gestational age. The 10 and 90 percentiles of the weight/length distribution, […]