Maternal determinants of low birth weight newborns in central India

Abstract

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health concern, especially in developing countries, and is frequently related to child morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: About 1000 live newborns on the 1st day of birth and their mothers were studied from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Intensive neonatal care, Department of Pediatrics, Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, between January 2016 and December 2019. Examinations of mother and newborns were carefully carried out in all cases recorded on a pretested and predesigned data capturing form. Results: The present study comprises observations made on 1000 newborns and their mothers admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. In LBW group, 145 (29%) were preterm, 347 (69.4%) term, and 8 (1.6%) post term while in LBW group 399 (79.8%) were term. The mean birth weight of preterm babies was 1860 ± 442.044 g and of term babies 2570 ± 400.72 g. This observed difference was statistically significant (t = 18.43, P < 0.001). Primipara mothers had highest number of LBW babies (39.4%) whereas second para mothers had maximal normal birth weight (NBW) babies (38.2%). Conclusion: Mothers below 20 years and above 30 years of age, primipara, poor caloric, and protein intake during pregnancy gave births to more number of LBW babies than NBW babies. In multiparas with spacing of 2 years or less, the number of LBW babies was more than NBW babies. Maternal weight and weight gain during pregnancy also found to have a definite correlation with birth weight.

Keywords

• determinants
• india
• low birth weight
• maternal factors
• newborn
• normal birth weight