Analysis of low birth weight and its co-variants in Bangladesh based on a sub-sample from nationally representative survey

Abstract

BackgroundLow birth weight (LBW) remains a leading global cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. This study leverages a large national survey to determine current prevalence and socioeconomic, demographic and heath related factors associated with LBW in Bangladesh.MethodsData from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2012–13 of Bangladesh were analyzed. A total of 2319 women for whom contemporaneous birth weight data was available and who had a live birth in the two years preceding the survey were sampled for this study. However, this analysis only was able to take advantage of 29% of the total sample with 71% missing birth weight for newborns. The indicator, LBW (< 2500 g) of infants, was examined as the outcome variable in association with different socioeconomic, demographic and health-related covariates. Mixed-effects logistic regression was performed to identify possible factors related to LBW.ResultsIn the selected sub-sample, about 20% of infants were born with LBW, with lowest rates observed in Rajshahi (11%) and highest rates in Rangpur (28%). Education of mothers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.68 for secondary or higher educated mother) and poor antenatal care (ANC) (AOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.04–1.90) were associated with LBW after adjusting for mother’s age, parity and cluster effects. Mothers from wealthier families were less likely to give birth to an LBW infant. Further indicators that wealth continues to play a role in LBW were that place of delivery, ANC and delivery assistance by quality health workers were significantly associated with LBW. However there has been a notable fall in LBW prevalence in Bangladesh since the last comparable survey (prevalence 36%), and an evidence of possible elimination of rural/urban disparities.ConclusionsLow birth weight remains associated with key indicators not just of maternal poverty (notably adequate maternal education) but also markers of structural poverty in health care (notably quality ANC). Results based on this sub-sample indicate LBW is still a public health concern in Bangladesh and an integrated effort from all stakeholders should be continued and interventions based on the study findings should be devised to further reduce the risk of LBW.

Low birth weight in Bangladesh and associated maternal and socioeconomic factors: results from a recent nationally-representative survey

“…The prevalence of low birth weight in our study using mother’s perception about baby’s size at birth was about 20%. According to the National Low Birth Weight Survey Bangladesh 2015, the prevalence of low birth weight using the WHO cut-off of <2500 grams was 22% [4,10]. Similar prevalence estimates using these two different methods for defining low birth weight have increased reliability of our findings.…”

“…There is a large disparity in the burden of low birth weight in the developed and developing countries. Also, south Asian countries harbour a large number of low birth weight babies due to higher birth rate as well as higher prevalence rate of low birth weight [1,4].…”

Gestational weight gain and newborn anthropometric outcomes in rural Bangladesh

“…Fetal growth restriction is a major public health problem worldwide (Black et al, ) and particularly in Bangladesh (Christian et al, ; Islam et al, ; Khan, Islam, Awan, & Muurlink, ; Klemm et al, ; Mridha et al, ). Newborn anthropometric outcomes such as low birthweight (LBW), stunting at birth, and small for gestational age (SGA) are highly prevalent in low‐ and middle‐income countries.…”

“…Newborn anthropometric outcomes such as low birthweight (LBW), stunting at birth, and small for gestational age (SGA) are highly prevalent in low-and middle-income countries. In Bangladesh, the prevalence of LBW in 2012-2013 was 20% (Khan et al, 2018), prevalence of newborn stunting in various studies is of similar magnitude Klemm et al, 2015 ;Mridha et al, 2016), and SGA is very common (e.g., 67.3% of infants born to mothers who received iron and folic acid during pregnancy, as stated in Klemm et al, 2015;Mridha et al, 2016). Birth length has been shown to be associated with compromised cognitive development (Lee et al, 2018), and LBW and restricted intrauterine growth have been linked with other longer term outcomes such as attained height, achieved schooling/education, and income later in life (Victora et al, 2008).…”

Spatial distribution and factors associated with low birth weight in Ethiopia using data from Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016: spatial and multilevel analysis

“…A research conducted in different countries on determinants of LBW showed that various sociodemographic, socioeconomic, pregnancy and maternal health service-related and communityrelated factors to be predictors of low birth weight (18,21,22). In Ethiopia, prior studies have been done to identify sociodemographic, pregnancy, and maternal health service-related factors (20)(21)(22)(23). Even though the low birth weight was affected by factors operating at both individual and community level none of the studies have tried to look at the factors that affect LBW at community and individual levels simultaneously.…”