Low Birth Weight Status Research Articles

Risk factors and regional variations of malnutrition among children under 5 in Myanmar: cross-sectional analyses at national and subnational levels

ObjectiveThe levels, distributions of child malnutrition and its potential risk factors are not very well known in Myanmar. The objectives included in this study were: to estimate the current national...

Influence of time since naturalisation on socioeconomic status and low birth weight among immigrants in Belgium. A population-based study.

BackgroundIncreasingly studies show that immigrants have different perinatal health outcomes compared to native-born women. Nevertheless, we lack a detailed examination of the combined effects of maternal immigrant trajectory and socioeconomic status on perinatal outcomes. Our objective was to analyze the influence of time since naturalization on low birth weight and maternal socioeconomic status in Belgium.MethodsThe data came from the linkage between the Brussels birth and death registers, the national register of migrant trajectories and the social security register for the years 2004–2010. We used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios of the associations between low birth weight (LBW) and time since naturalization, by nationality groups, taking into account socioeconomic status (SES), parity and maternal age.ResultsData relate to all singleton births to Belgian, Maghrebi, Sub-Saharan African and Turkish women (n = 76 312). The results show an U-shaped of LBW according to time since naturalization for all migrant groups. LBW declines for women naturalized since less than one year and increases significantly thereafter (p<0.0001). In parallel, we observe an increase of SES among all migrant groups. Compared to Belgians, we found a lower risk of LBW among women from Maghreb (p<0.0001) and this protection is maintained even after 10 years since naturalization. In contrast, the risk of LBW for Sub-Saharan African and Turkish mothers is lower than for Belgians after one year of naturalization but similar to that of Belgians after 10 years of naturalization.ConclusionOur results show that, despite an improvement of their SES, LBW increases among Maghrebi, Sub-Saharan African and Turkish women with time since naturalization. Mothers from Maghreb have lower rates of LBW compared to Belgians and maintain their protection even after more than 10 years of having acquired the Belgian nationality. Additional studies need to be carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the association between migration trajectories, SES and perinatal health of immigrants.

Smoking Cessation and Pregnancy: Timing of Cessation Reduces or Eliminates the Effect on Low Birth Weight.

Women who smoke cigarettes while pregnant are at elevated risk of having low birth weight infants (LBW, < 2500g) which increases risks of infant mortality and morbidity, including chronic conditions later in life. Smoking cessation during pregnancy can reduce the risk of poor birth outcomes. However, the effect that timing of smokingcessation has on the reduction of poorbirth outcomes in term pregnancies is unknown. This retrospective cohort study used birth certificate data from Missouri singleton, full-term, live births from 2010 to 2012 (N = 179,653) to examine the rates and timing of smoking cessation during pregnancy on birthweight. Smoking exposure was categorized as non-smoker, preconception cessation, first trimester cessation, second trimester cessation, and smoker. The outcome was low birth weight (LBW). Covariates included maternal race/ethnicity, age, education level, type of payment for the delivery, marital status, paternal acknowledgement, prenatal sexually transmitted infection (STI), comorbidities, and body mass index. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to assess relationships between smoking and LBW status. Preconception cessation did not have a statistically higher risk for LBW than mothers who never smoked (aOR 1.12; 95% CI 0.98, 1.28). First trimester cessation (aOR 1.26; 95% CI 1.05, 1.52), second trimester cessation (aOR 2.00; 95% CI 1.60, 2.67), and smoker (aOR 2.46; 95% CI 2.28, 2.67) had increasing odds for LBW relative to mothers who did not smoke. All covariates had significant relationships with the smoking exposure. Preconception cessation yielded LBW rates comparable to non-smokers. The risk for LBW increased as smoking continued throughout pregnancy among full term births, an important new finding in contrast with other studies.

Prevalence of anaemia among 6- to 59-month-old children in India: the latest picture through the NFHS-4.

India is the highest contributor to child anaemia among developing countries. To see the latest picture of child anaemia in India, data for 6- to 59-month-old children were taken from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015-16 (NFHS-4). The study sample consisted of 1,37,347 children. The dependent variable was the anaemia status of the child. The objectives of the study were to assess (i) the distribution of anaemia prevalence by child age group, (ii) the prevalence of child anaemia by zone and state and (iii) the relation of child anaemia prevalence with social, demographic and economic variables, including maternal nutritional status and low birth weight. The study found that in India in 2015-16, 56% of 6- to 59-month-old children were anaemic - a decrease of only 13.5 percentage points since the NFHS-3 study conducted in 2005-06. It is well known that iron supplementation is necessary for child growth and brain development. This study suggests that, in addition, the socioeconomic conditions of households in India need to be improved to prevent child anaemia. Low birth weight and low maternal nutritional status are also responsible for the high prevalence of anaemia among children in India.

Correlation between Nutritional Status of Pregnant Mothers and Low Birth Weight in the Surakarta Hospital

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Factors associated with excess weight and stunting in schoolchildren born with low birth weight

The scope of this study is to assess the nutritional status of low birth weight (LBW) children and the possible associations with independent maternal variables, gender and neonatal history. It involved a cross-sectional study with 544 LBW schoolchildren (five to ten years of age) in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. Variables: the neonatal data of liveborn infant declarations and the current weight and height of the mothers were collected. The weight and stature used to calculate the height/age z (HAZ) score and the body mass index (BMI) of children were evaluated. Among the LBW children 6.2% were of short stature, 12.3% overweight and 8.6% obese. There was an association between short stature in LBW schoolchildren and short maternal stature < 150 cm (OR = 6.94; 95 % CI 2.34-20.6). Excess weight/obesity in LBW children was independently associated with overweight/obesity of the mother (OR = 2.40; 95% CI 1.44-4.01), and the male gender (OR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.06-2.95). A fifth of schoolchildren with low birth weight were overweight, which was associated with current maternal nutritional status and the male gender and stunting was associated with maternal stature.

Factors of Low Birth Weight Risk in the Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics of the Ignace Deen National University Teaching Hospital in Conakry, Guinea

Introduction: The underweight at birth is recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Objective: To identify maternal and obstetric sociodemographic factors associated with low birth weight. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective study of analytical type that examined the records of women who gave birth in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of Ignace Deen National University Teaching Hospital from 1st December 2016 to 30th April 2017. The analysis was made with the R version 3.3.1 software. We did a univariate and multivariate analysis. Outcomes: Out of the 1633 live births of single pregnancies that occurred during the study period, 109 children were born with a low weight (<2500 g) corresponding to a rate of 6.7%. In univariate analysis, we found a significant association between low birth weight and maternal single status (p = 0.019), maternal weight less than 60 kg (p = 0.038), primary parity (p = 0.018), maternal history of abortion (p = 0.001), history of preterm birth (p < 0.001), arterial hypertension (p < 0.001), anemia (p < 0.001) and malaria (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the variables associated with low birth weight were: history of preterm delivery with OR of 8.5 [1.8 - 40.1], history of abortion (OR = 4.4 [1.4 - 13.9]), malaria (OR = 23.8 [6.1 - 92.5]), anemia (OR = 11.8 [3.7 - 38.2]) and high blood pressure (OR = 5.4 [1.6 - 17.9]). Conclusion: The decrease in frequency of low birth weight in Guinea will be done by improving the quality of prenatal care with an emphasis on screening, prevention and treatment of malaria, anemia and high blood pressure during pregnancy, prevention of abortion and premature birth.

Deworming During Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes

One third of infants born in India are of low birth weight (<2.5 kilograms), leading to a higher prevalence of child malnutrition. These infants are at risk of not only short term but also long term adverse health outcomes. In India, maternal anemia is one of the major concerns in low birth weight status and perinatal mortality. Intestinal parasitic infections like hookworm can cause and increase iron deficient anemia among mothers. These infections can reduce the effect of iron supplementation during pregnancy. This, in turn, can lead to low birth weight. The current study examines the role of deworming during pregnancy for birth outcomes, in particular, determining low birth weight. Data from the latest National Family Health Survey (conducted 2005–06 and released in 2008) is used for this analysis; NFHS is the Indian component of the Measure Demographic Health survey project. Using a nationwide sample of mothers and infants (n = 17,117), a matching estimation was done to assess the effect of intake of deworming drugs during pregnancy on infant’s birth weight, after controlling for various socio-demographic characteristics and the quality of available water sources and water treatment by the households. The study found that deworming during pregnancy both increased the birth weight of the infant as well as decreased the probability of low birth weight. The average increase in birth weight was estimated to be around 66 grams and the probability of low birth weight, was on average, reduced by 2.2 percentage points if deworming drugs were administered during pregnancy. This leads to the conclusion that a low cost intervention such as deworming should be considered in antenatal care packages, particularly in regions of India where helminthic infection is endemic. Apart from birth weight, several other benefits could occur from deworming during pregnancy given the pathway through Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA).

Parental social position, in utero growth and risk of child development disorders: an administrative data based prospective cohort study

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo evaluate the influences of low birthweight and socioeconomic status upon child development disorders&#x0D; ApproachIt has been recognised that low birthweight and socio-economic status impact cognitive development in children. Previous studies in Scotland investigated this relationship using the Scottish Mental Health Survey 1932, the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) longitudinal survey, and the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s study. This paper examines this using the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) linked with Maternity Inpatient and Day Case records and Child Health Systems Programme Pre-School (CHSP Pre-School) records. This is original because it extends previous work through large-scale contemporary data which has been routinely collected and is representative of the Scottish population. It also includes a novel design through the use of birth data from parents and children recorded within the SLS.&#x0D; ResultsFrom this research it was identified that these child development measures were strongly associated with gestational-age specific birthweight and that fine motor, social and hearing abnormalities were much more likely for children with parents in lower grade occupations or who were long-term unemployed. These associations were net of other indicators of family socioeconomic position and birth outcomes, suggesting that infants from disadvantaged backgrounds remained more likely to experience these conditions beyond the differences that could be explained by other relevant factors (such as their birthweight).&#x0D; ConclusionThese findings confirm and build upon previous analysis through the use of linked administrative data.

Trends in Anthropometric Measures Among US Children 6 to 23 Months, 1976-2014.

The surveillance of children's growth reflects a population's nutritional status and risk for adverse outcomes. This study aimed to describe trends in length-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, and early childhood weight gain among US children aged 6 to 23 months. We analyzed NHANES data from 1976-1980, 1988-1994, 1999-2002, 2003-2006, 2007-2010, and 2011-2014. We estimated z scores < -2 (low) and ≥+2 (high) in comparison with World Health Organization growth standards for each indicator. Weight gain (relative to sex-age-specific medians) from birth until survey participation was estimated. Trends were assessed by low birth weight status and race/Hispanic origin. Race/Hispanic origin trends were assessed from 1988-1994 to 2011-2014. In 2011-2014, the prevalence of low and high length-for-age was 3.3% (SE, 0.8) and 3.7% (SE, 0.8); weight-for-age was 0.6% (SE, 0.3) and 7.0% (SE, 1.1); and weight-for-length was 1.0% (SE, 0.4) and 7.7% (SE, 1.2). The only significant trend was a decrease in high length-for-age (5.5% in 1976-1980 vs 3.7% in 2011-2014; P = .04). Relative weight gain between birth and survey participation did not differ over time, although trends differed by race/Hispanic origin. Non-Hispanic black children gained more weight between birth and survey participation in 2011-2014 versus 1988-1994, versus no change among other groups. Between 1976-1980 and 2011-2014, there were no significant trends in low or high weight-for-age and weight-for-length among 6- to 23-month-old children whereas the percent with high length-for-age decreased. A significant trend in relative weight gain between birth and survey participation was observed among non-Hispanic black children.

The Intergenerational Transmission of Low Birth Weight and Intrauterine Growth Restriction: A Large Cross-generational Cohort Study in Taiwan

Objectives Our research provides evidence on the intergenerational fetal programming effect by examining associations in the low birth weight (LBW, birth weight <2500g) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) status between two adjacent generations from both the maternal and paternal sides. Methods Birth certificate data of the entire Taiwanese population are used to construct three-consecutive-generational samples. The final samples consist of the third-generation children born during 1999-2006 to at least one second-generation (G2) parent born during 1978-1985. Maternal and paternal samples are distinguished based on the gender of G2. We first fit the samples with linear probability models while including extensive explanatory variables to control for myriad confounding factors. We then include G2 sibling fixed effects to account for family-specific heterogeneity. Alternative explanations of sample selection, parents' assortative mating, and grandmothers' postnatal investment are examined. Results We find that significant intergenerational associations in LBW and IUGR only occur matrilineally. Children born to LBW mothers are 2.28 (95% CI, 0.71-3.85; p < 0.01) percentage points, corresponding to 36%, more likely to be LBW compared to children born to non-LBW mothers who are sisters. These associations cannot be explained by the above alternative explanations. Conclusions Under G2 sibling comparisons, children born to LBW (IUGR) mothers are more likely to be LBW (IUGR), but children born to LBW (IUGR) fathers are not. The findings suggest that maternal health is pertinent and that socio-economic interventions may not yield the desired outcomes within a short period of time.

Non-malaria fevers in a high malaria endemic area of Ghana.

BackgroundThe importance of fevers not due to malaria [non–malaria fevers, NMFs] in children in sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly being recognised. We have investigated the influence of exposure-related factors and placental malaria on the risk of non-malaria fevers among children in Kintampo, an area of Ghana with high malaria transmission.MethodsBetween 2008 and 2011, a cohort of 1855 newborns was enrolled and followed for at least 12 months. Episodes of illness were detected by passive case detection. The primary analysis covered the period from birth up to 12 months of age, with an exploratory analysis of a sub-group of children followed for up to 24 months.ResultsThe incidence of all episodes of NMF in the first year of life (first and subsequent) was 1.60 per child-year (95 % CI 1.54, 1.66). The incidence of NMF was higher among infants with low birth weight [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.22 (95 % CI 1.04–1.42) p = 0.012], infants from households of poor socio-economic status [aHR 1.22 (95 % CI 1.02–1.46) p = 0.027] and infants living furthest from a health facility [aHR 1.20 (95 % CI 1.01–1.43) p = 0.037]. The incidence of all episodes of NMF was similar among infants born to mothers with or without placental malaria [aHR 0.97 (0.87, 1.08; p = 0.584)].ConclusionThe incidence of NMF in infancy is high in the study area. The incidence of NMF is associated with low birth weight and poor socioeconomic status but not with placental malaria.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1654-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Childhood motor coordination and adult psychopathology in extremely low birth weight survivors

ObjectiveTo determine if childhood motor coordination is associated with lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD), current generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood, and to examine if extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000g) status moderates the strength of these associations. MethodProspective study of a cohort of normal birth weight (NBW) controls and ELBW survivors. Participants completed the short form Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP-SF) at age 8. At age 29–36, participants completed the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview to diagnose the psychiatric disorders of interest. ResultsBirth weight status significantly influenced the strength and direction of associations between childhood motor coordination and adult psychiatric outcomes such that the odds of MDD (Pinteraction=.02) and GAD (Pinteraction=.01) increased with worsening motor scores in NBW adults but not ELBW survivors. Stratified analyses indicated that in NBW adults, for each one-point decrease in BOTMP-SF score, the odds of lifetime MDD increased by 10% (OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.20). LimitationsParticipant attrition reduced sample size and that may have limited our ability to detect statistically significant results for some of our analyses. ConclusionPoorer motor coordination in early life has a negative long-term impact on the development of MDD and GAD of individuals born at NBW. The long-term mental health risks of childhood motor coordination problems are significant and highlight the importance of recognizing motor deficits in all children, so that associated psychological difficulties can be identified and treated at an early age.

Differential susceptibility to effects of the home environment on motor developmental outcomes of preschool children: low birthweight status as a susceptibility factor

Low birthweight (LBW) children tend to have higher risks of developmental problems. According to differential susceptibility hypothesis, these putatively vulnerable children may also disproportionately benefit from positive environmental exposure. This study aimed to examine whether LBW status moderates home environmental influences on preschoolers’ motor development in a for-better-and-for-worse manner. Subjects included 18,717 children from the 2005 birth cohort in Taiwan. Birthweight was categorised into: lighter-LBW (LLBW, <2000 g), heavier-LBW (HLBW, 2000–2499 g) and non-LBW (NLBW, ≧2500 g) groups. Simple regression slopes indicated that LLBW and HLBW children demonstrated greater susceptibility than NLBW children to the effects of cognitive stimulation component of the home environment on both gross and fine motor skills. Estimating the regions of significance, however, revealed that LLBW and HLBW children appeared more vulnerable to less stimulating conditions, but did not outperform their NLBW counterparts when reared in enriched environments. Thus, our results did not support differential susceptibility.

Maternal distress during pregnancy and language development in preschool age: A population-based cohort study

Recent studies have emphasized the importance of the prenatal period for children's cognitive development. Prenatal exposure to psychological distress has been identified as one potential agent affecting neurodevelopment, although research in this area has been marked by some contradictory findings and methodological limitations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal distress during pregnancy on language development of preschool children. This study was based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study conducted at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The sample was composed of 34,089 women and their children. We assessed the role of maternal prenatal distress on child language over and above that of premature low birth weight (PLBW) status and postnatal maternal distress. Fear of giving birth had a negative impact on language outcome at age three over and above the effect of PLBW status and postnatal maternal distress. However, this effect was of minimal magnitude. Moreover, when examining whether differences in language skills between siblings were associated with differences in experienced levels of prenatal stress across pregnancies (sibling fixed-effects models), no significant effects were found. Our study suggests that prenatal distress within moderate limits does not seem to have an independent impact on child language performance in the preschool years and emphasizes the importance of considering the contextual role played by more stable maternal and family characteristics.

Sibling differences in low birth weight, dopaminergic polymorphisms, and ADHD symptomatology: Evidence of GxE

Low birth weight has been found to increase the risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. However, few studies adequately control for shared environmental influences (e.g., concentrated disadvantage, family structure) or examine whether interactions between birth weight and genetic factors predict ADHD. The present study addresses these limitations in prior research by examining a) whether sibling differences in low birth weight status are significantly predictive of sibling differences in behaviors symptomatic of ADHD and b) whether sibling differences in dopaminergic genes interact with sibling differences in low birth weight status to predict sibling differences in ADHD symptomatology. The results suggest that low birth weight siblings are at significantly greater risk of exhibiting symptoms of ADHD during childhood relative to their normal birth weight siblings. Moreover, possessing greater genetic risk on three dopaminergic genes (DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4) relative to a sibling appears to exacerbate the link between sibling differences in birth weight and sibling differences in ADHD symptomatology. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Birth data accessibility via primary care health records to classify health status in a multi-ethnic population of children: an observational study.

Background:Access to reliable birth data (birthweight (BW) and gestational age (GA)) is essential for the identification of individuals who are at subsequent health risk.Aims:This study aimed to explore the feasibility of retrospectively collecting birth data for schoolchildren from parental questionnaires (PQ) and general practitioners (GPs) in primary care clinics, in inner city neighbourhoods with high density of ethnic minority and disadvantaged populations.Methods:Attempts were made to obtain birth data from parents and GPs for 2,171 London primary schoolchildren (34% White, 29% Black African origin, 25% South Asians, 12% Other) as part of a larger study of respiratory health.Results:Information on BW and/or GA were obtained from parents for 2,052 (95%) children. Almost all parents (2,045) gave consent to access their children’s health records held by GPs. On the basis of parental information, GPs of 1,785 children were successfully contacted, and GPs of 1,202 children responded. Birth data were retrieved for only 482 children (22% of 2,052). Missing birth data from GPs were associated with non-white ethnicity, non-UK born, English not the dominant language at home or socioeconomic disadvantage. Paired data were available in 376 children for BW and in 407 children for GA. No significant difference in BW or GA was observed between PQ and GP data, with <5% difference between sources regardless of normal or low birth weight, or term or preterm status.Conclusions:Parental recall of birth data for primary schoolchildren yields high quality and rapid return of data, and it should be considered as a viable alternative in which there is limited access to birth records. It provides the potential to include children with an increased risk of health problems within epidemiological studies.

Early exposure to environmental chaos and children's physical and mental health

Environmental chaos has been proposed as a central influence impeding children's health and development, with the potential for particularly pernicious effects during the earliest years when children are most susceptible to environmental insults. This study evaluated a high-risk sample, following 495 low-income children living in poor urban neighborhoods from infancy to age 6. Longitudinal multilevel models tested the main tenets of the ecobiodevelopmental theory, finding that: (1) numerous distinct domains of environmental chaos were associated with children's physical and mental health outcomes, including housing disorder, neighborhood disorder, and relationship instability, with no significant results for residential instability; (2) different patterns emerged in relation to the timing of exposure to chaos, with more proximal exposure most strongly associated with children's functioning; and (3) the intensity of chaos also was a robust predictor of child functioning. Contrary to expectations, neither biological vulnerability (proxied through low birth weight status), maternal sensitivity, nor maternal distress moderated the role of chaos. Rather, maternal psychological distress functioned as a pathway through which environmental chaos was associated with children's functioning.

Modeling environmental influences on child growth in the MAL-ED cohort study: opportunities and challenges.

Although genetics, maternal undernutrition and low birth weight status certainly play a role in child growth, dietary insufficiency and infectious diseases are key risk factors for linear growth faltering during early childhood. A primary goal of the Etiology, Risk Factors and Interactions of Enteric Infections and Malnutrition and the Consequences for Child Health and Development (MAL-ED) study is to identify specific risk factors associated with growth faltering during the first 2 years of life; however, growth in early childhood is challenging to characterize because growth may be inherently nonlinear with age. In this manuscript, we describe some methods for analyzing longitudinal growth to evaluate both short- and long-term associations between risk factors and growth trajectories over the first 2 years of life across 8 resource-limited settings using harmonized protocols. We expect there will be enough variability within and between sites in the prevalence of risk factors and burden of linear growth faltering to allow us to distinguish some of the key pathways to linear growth faltering in the MAL-ED study.

Present Status and Predictors of Low Birth Weight at Sadar Hospital Moulovibazar

In Bangladesh the prevalence of LBW is still very high. A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out during the period from January to June 2010 among Istice the mothers whose babies were born in Gynaecology &amp; Obstetric Department of Sadar Hospital, Moulvibazar in order to assess the proportion of LBW with its predictors. Total 140 mothers were selected purposively. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire and hospital record were used for data was collection. Result showed the proportion of LBW to be 25 %( n=35). Among them 64.3% had monthly income To between Tk 3000-5000 and majority of mothers 62% were from age group (15-24). A The result showed that gestational age, number of ANC visits, gap between two pregnancies were significantly associated with low birth weight. (P&lt;0.05). Association was found between previous loss of pregnancy and previous history of low birth weight (P&lt;0. 05). Age, parity and mother's education had no relation on ateral birth weight. It may be concluded from the study that maternal health service need to be strengthened to reduce the prevalence of LBW in Bangladesh