Risk Factors of Low Birth Weight Baby

Abstract

Low birth weight (LBW, <2500g) is an important indicator of reproductive health and general health status of population. LBW is considered as the single most important predictor of infant mortality, especially of deaths within the first month of life. This is a prospective case control study carried out in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecolgy, Faridpur Medical College Hospital, Faridpur, during the period of August 2015 to July 2016 to find out the risk factors associated with low birth weight babies and to know modifiable risk factors. Total 300 samples were included in this study. All pregnant women who delivered a LBW baby during one year of study period were selected. One hundred mothers who delivered babies having birth weight <2500 gram were selected as cases and 200 mothers who delivered babies having birth weight 2500 gram and above were taken as control. This study shows most frequent maternal age group was 18-25 years in case group and 26-35 years in control group. Fifty four percent were female and 46% were male babies in case group where as 39% were female and 61% were male babies in control group. In LBW babies mothers, having regular antenatal care were only 23.8%. Maternal factors including maternal height, maternal weight, pre-eclampsia, PROM, chronic hypertension & PPH, heart disease and DM were associated with low birth weight. Fifty six percent mothers had average food intake and 34% had poor food intake in mothers of low birth weight baby. The status of antenatal check-up and poor socio economic condition also strongly influence birth weight of baby. There is a need for national prospective research project to study the low birth weight problem at the national level.Faridpur Med. Coll. J. Jan 2018;13(1): 31-34

Low Birth Weight and Associated Factors among Newborn Babies - A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

“…More than 20 million infants worldwide, representing 15.5 % of all birth, are born with low birth weight (LBW), and 95.6% of them are in developing countries [7]. "Half of all low birthweight babies are born in South-central Asia, where more than a quarter, 30% in Bangladesh and in India, 21% in Nepal and 19% in Pakistan" [8]. "LBW is linked to fetal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, stunted growth and cognitive development, and later-life chronic diseases.…”

“…"Low birth weight is influenced by many socioeconomic factors like habitat, living areas, age, education, birth order, substance abuse by mother, religion and caste, nutritional status, body mass index, quality of antenatal care (ANC) received and spacing of pregnancies. LBW babies pose challenges to the families as well as to the pediatric population considering their mental, and physical developmental disputes" [8].…”

“…"Children born with LBW have a higher incidence of diseases, retardation in cognitive development and undernourishment. There is also evidence that LBW or its determinant factors are associated with a predisposition to higher rates of diabetes, cardiac diseases and other future chronic health problem" [8]. "Mortality rates of very low birth weight babies have been shown to be very high in several studies.…”