A total of 8519 birth weights were collected from the birth registers of 9 institutions (3 hospitals and 6 health centers) in Cameroon in order to provide information on the birth weights of babies born in rural Cameroon with particular reference to the indigenous people of Tikar stock. The weights were collected from 3 different time periods: 1953-55; 1962-64; and 1971-73. All birth weights recorded were used, including prematures and stillbirths. Besides birth weight, month, and year of delivery, the data included a record of plurality, parity, ethnic group, and whether the delivery was booked or an emergency. The mean birth weight of 8071 indigenous singleton deliveries within the 3 time periods was 3119 gm. Of 920 consective births in institution 1, 485 were male and 434 female; the ratio of male births to female births was 1:118. The mean weight for males was 3256 gm and 3182 gm for females. Primiparous births accounted for 1618 out of 6738 births of 24%. The mean weight of 322 primiparous births was 2958 gm while that of 1101 multiparous births was 3154 gm. These means were significantly different. In 2 institutions, the mean birth weight increased by approximately 100 gm from 1953-55 to 1962-67 and subsequently decreased between 1963-64 and 1971-73. The variation in birth weight in these 2 institutions over these periods was statistically significant. An analysis of 958 birgth weights showed that birth weight varied significantly with the month of birth. The lowest weights occurred in the rainy months of July, August, and September and then increased progressively to reach a peak in February, near the end of the dry season. Birth weight varied significantly between institutions in 1971-73. The mean maternal weight of 130 mothers was 64.9 kg while that of the babies delivered was 3090 gm. The paired weights were positively correlated. Of 1423 births in Institution 2 in 1971-73, only 12 were unbooked with a mean weight of 2397 gm. This differed significantly from the mean of 3109 gm for the 1411 booked births. The mean birth weight of 3199 gm for the 8071 indigenous singleton births compares favorably with other developing countries and reflects the relatively good nutritional status of pregnant women in the area studied. Birth weight varied with sex, plurality, parity, year and month of birth, institution, maternal weight, and antenatal clinic attendance.