Risk factors survey of low birth weight neonates

Abstract

Background: Neonatal mortality rate is one of the main health problems which affected by prenatal status and perinatal conditions. LBW is one of the main causes of neonatal and infantile mortality. Approximately every ten seconds, an infant from a developing country dies from a disease or infection that can be attributed to low birth weight, so this study was done to evaluate the risk factors of LBW in neonate.Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was done on 1023 neonates, born in Babylon Maternity and Children Teaching Hospital from September 2007 to April 2008 .Neonatal data such as birth weight, gender, gestational age, and maternal data including maternal age, birth interval, history of abortion, antenatal care, parity, level of education, systemic disease, genitourinary infection, smoking, type of delivery, socioeconomic state, residence and maternal weight and height, were reported in this study.
 Results: The study reveals that, 14% of neonates were LBW, were female/male ratio 1:0.6. The lower (maternal weight and height, gestational age, economic state and level of education) were associated with more LBW neonates. Also rural residence, irregular antenatal care, GUT infection, C/S delivery or having underling systemic diseases were at risk to get LBW neonates, while maternal age, birth interval and history of abortion found no effect on birth weight.Conclusions: the results revealed a correlation between LBW in neonates with gestational age, maternal weight and height, and systemic diseases of the mothers. Also there was a correlation with the gender of baby, residence, level of education, socioeconomic state, GUT infection, parity and type of delivery.