A Study of Risk Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight Babies Born to Mothers Attending a Tertiary Hospital of Andhra Pradesh

Low birth weight is one of the most serious challenges in maternal & child health in both developed & developing countries. It has been emphasized that a community based prospective study would help to define the exact role of various factors affecting birth weight. This helps in preventing Low birth weight (LBW) babies through good prenatal care & intervention programmes rather than the treatment of LBW babies later.

To study the risk factor of LBW due to socio-demographic & economic causes

To study the risk factors due to obstetric causes & factors due to personal origin.

Around 120 mothers who gave birth to low birth weight babies in the month of September 2011 to December 2011 who were admitted in G.S.L Medical College & Hospital were examined, & interviewed with the help of a pre-tested questionnaire. Their socio- demographic, economic, physical profiles were studied.

Lower age group of mother, illiteracy, socio economic status, decreased BMI, passive smoking, habit of taking caffeine etc are significant risk factors for low birth weight babies.

There is need of population based interventions in terms of improving maternal education & socioeconomic status. The results of this study suggest that for reducing LBW, the strategy needs to focus attention on nutrition education to facilitate better weight gain during pregnancy, encouraging appropriate birth spacing, avoidance of tobacco chewing & exposure to passive smoke & discouraging teenage smoking.