Influence of some selected factors on low birth weight in Teaching Hospital Kandy

Abstract

This study was conducted on mothers who delivered low birth weight babies during the period of 1st February to 15th March 2006 in Teaching Hospital, Kandy. It was carried out with the aim of determining the risk factors affecting the birth weight of their babies. Anthropometric data such as maternal height and weight; socio demographic data such as age, ethnicity, education, income, exposure to stress; present pregnancy factors such as parity, antenatal care, exposure to smoke; and present pregnancy outcome factors such as sex of the baby, and mode of delivery were obtained by interviewer administered questionnaire. Each mother was interviewed in the post natal ward during this period and the responses were cross checked with hospital records. Of the total births of 694 during the stipulated period, 132 mothers (cases) delivered live babies with birth weight less than 2500g after completion of 3 7 weeks of gestation and 132 mothers (controls) delivered live babies with normal birth weight next to the low birth weight delivery, in the same postnatal ward during that period at General Hospital, Kandy. According to this study maternal weight, education, income and antenatal care were found to significantly and positively influence birth weight whilst parity, exposure to stress and exposure to smoke were found to significantly and negatively influence the birth weight of the new born.