Frequency and risk factors of low birth weight in term pregnancy

Objective: To determine frequency of Low Birth Weight (LBW) at term and to determine frequency of various associated risk factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Layari General Hospital and Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi between January 2007 to July 2008. Women with singleton pregnancy of 37 and above completed weeks were identified. Those women who gave birth to babies with less than 2500gm were recruited in the study. In all those patients who gave birth to LBW babies risk factors were assessed. The variables including age, parity, booking status, maternal weight and height, socioeconomic condition, smoking, fetal gender and birth weight were noted on a questionare. The data was analyzed on SPSS Version 15. Frequency of LBW and its associated risk factors were determined.

Results: During study period 10.6% patients delivered LBW babies. Antenatal care was not received in 67% patients. Parity was less than three in 87%. In 26% of patients maternal weight was less than 50 kg and in 37% patients with LBW, maternal height was less than five feet. Majority of patients were anaemic (72%) including 20% with haemoglobin< 7 grams.

Conclusion: LBW is associated with a group of factors which may be regarded as high risk factors. These include low socio economic status, anaemia, primiparity, short maternal height and less than average weight.