Inadequate Gestational Weight Gain and Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke during Pregnancy Increase the Risk of Low Birth Weight: A Cross-Sectional Study among Full-Term Infants.

Muliana Edi,Yit Siew Chin,Fui Chee Woon,Poh Ying Lim,Geeta Appannah,On Behalf Of The Micos Research Group

doi:10.3390/ijerph18031068

Abstract

Despite the advancement of the healthcare system, low birth weight (LBW) remains as one of the leading causes of under-five mortality. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of LBW and its associated factors among 483 third trimester pregnant women recruited from six selected public health clinics in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Pregnant women were interviewed for information on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking behaviour, and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure at home and in the workplace. Information on the obstetrical history and prenatal care visits history were retrieved from the maternal medical records, while infant’s birth outcomes were retrieved from infant medical records. The prevalence of LBW (<2.5 kg) in infants was 10.4%, with a mean birth weight of 3.0 [standard deviation (SD) 0.4] kg. Results from the multivariable logistic regression model showed that inadequate weight gained during pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) = 2.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18–4.90] and exposure to SHS at home (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.03–3.55) were significantly associated with LBW. In conclusion, pregnant women should monitor their rate of weight gain throughout pregnancy and avoid SHS exposure at home to reduce the risk of delivering LBW infants.

Highlights

Results from the Simple logistic regression (SLR) analysis showed that low monthly household income (OR = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.23–0.97), inadequate gestational weight gain (OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.16–4.47), and being exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) at home (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.09–3.69) were significantly associated with an increased risk of low birth weight (LBW) (Table 3)
The present study revealed that about one in ten of the full-term infants were born with LBW
Our study indicates that LBW remains an unsolved public health problem in Malaysia and continued efforts are needed to determine their modifiable risk factors which may be targeted in future prevention strategies

Summary

Introduction

LBW is defined as the weight taken at birth of less than 2.5 kg by the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. LBW is a significant global public health concern and has been identified as one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among children under five years of age [2,3]. It is estimated that more than 20 million infants are born with LBW each year [4]. The prevalence of LBW varies across regions, ranging from 7.9% in the regions of Northern America to 17.3% in the regions of Asia [3]. LBW is more common in developing than developed countries, consisting up to 95.6% of the global prevalence [5]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion