Publication:

A study of epidemiological co-relates of low birth weight babies born in tertiary care hospital

Background To study the Epidemiological Factors related with the low Birth weight Babies born in tertiary care Hospital of teaching Medical Institution.

Methods The present study was a cross sectional observational study carried out in the Post Natal ward of Obstetric department of a tertiary care hospital of a metropolitan city, data collection was done from the Mothers of low birth weight babies by conducting face to face interview in the post-natal ward with a predesigned, structured Performa. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social science program.

Results The study showed that most of mothers of the babies were between the age group of 22 to 30 years 87 (58.3%) while 49 (32.8%) were below the age of 21 years and 13(8.7%) were above 30 years of age. Most of the study subjects 70 (47.0%) belongs to the lower socioeconomic status where as 62 (41.6%) and 17 (11.4%) belong to upper lower and middle socioeconomic class respectively. It was observed in the present study that maternal education, socioeconomic status, parity, maternal weight gain during pregnancy, height of the mother, tobacco habits either chewing or smoking, birth order of the baby are the factors, significantly associated with low birth weight of the baby.

Conclusions Socioeconomic development, maternal nutrition, and increasing the use of health services during pregnancy, are all important for reducing LBW. There is need to strengthen the existing maternal services at the basic level of community.