Yasmeen Memon, Salma Sheikh, Aslam Memon.
Maternal risk factors affecting birth weight of newborn.
J Liaquat Uni Med Health Sci Jan ;4(3):94-9.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of maternal biosocial, medical and obstetric risk factors with low birth weight (LBW). DESIGN: A case control study. SETTING: Department of neonatology and paediatrics, Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad - Sindh from 1st September to 31st December 2001. METHODS: One hundred live born LBW babies were selected against 65 normal birth weight babies as control for this study. Information regarding maternal biosocial, medical and obstetric problems during pregnancy was recorded on a specified proforma and data analysis was done through SPSS 10.0 version and results were interpreted in terms of P-values. RESULTS: The mean birth weight of LBW babies was 1.96 kg as compared to 3.2 kg in control group. Sixty-nine percent of cases were preterm with male predominance. Main factors identified were poverty, maternal malnutrition, short birth interval, teenage mother, lack of antenatal care, anemia, toxemia, antepartum hemorrhage, renal disease and malaria. CONCLUSION: Maternal biosocial, medical and obstetric factors have strong association with LBW. To overcome this problem, health education of mothers and strengthening of the health care facilities for mother and children in the community are required.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com