Maternal risk factors for low birth weight infants: A systematic review study

Abstract

Background: More than 80% of newborn deaths are low birth weight babies. The cause of most neonatal deaths in Indonesia in 2021 was the condition of low birth weight babies (LBW) at 34.5%. The availability and quality of LBW data varies greatly between countries, so to achieve the target of reducing LBW, more data and good quality data are needed. This study aimed to review the evidence linking risk factors for LBW using a systematic review study. Methods: Articles published in 2020-2023 in google scholar, pubmed and science direct databases were systematically reviewed. Eight articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included as samples for further review. Results on maternal risk factors for LBW were synthesized systematically. Results: From the search results, 756 articles were obtained, after the screening process, the final result was 8 articles. Risk factors that were significantly associated with LBW in the articles were grouped into subthemes, including: maternal age, parity, pregnancy spacing, education, occupation, residence, body mass index, weight gain, anemia, gestational age below 37 weeks, smoking, preeclampsia, adverse obstetric history, medical examination, pregnancy danger signs and history of adenomyosis, Conclusion: The various risk factors identified indicate that the target of reducing LBW rates must take many approaches. The diversity of data on risk factors is expected to help determine the distribution of causes and interventions for the handling and prevention of LBW.