Determinants and prevention of low birth weight institute of health. A low birth weight infant can be born too small, too early, or both. Nilsson et al analyzed blood pressure and lbw in 149,378 swedish children and found a significant relation between birth weight and systolic arterial pressure. Preterm infants are born before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. The factors vary from one area to another, depending upon geographic, socioeconomic and cultural factors. Fortunately, there is a 95 percent chance of survival for babies weighing between 3 pounds, 5 ounces and 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
Dec 16, 2011 in a 2010 study that included close to 300 mothers followed for 14 years after the birth of a very low birth weight child, mothers of children with ongoing medical issues also had ongoing stress. The preterm rates are approximately 60 percent for twins, 90 percent for triplets, and about 100 percent for quadruplets and beyond. The utah low birth weight percentage has increased over the last decade from 6. Van lieshout mcmaster university although individuals born at extremely low birth weight elbw. Low birth weight lbw is defined by the world health organization as a birth weight of a infant of 2,499 g or less, regardless of gestational age. The prevalence of low birth weight babies in nepal is estimated to be about 1232%. Low birth weight babies at higher risk for mental health. Sixtyseven percent of all low birth weight babies are premature births. This can happen for many different reasons which may or may not be related. Birth weight and child growth are important predictors for the future health of a person and at aggregate level, for the public health of a population.
Low birth weight lbw is one of the main predictors of infant mortality. A lbw baby weighs less than 2500 grams, or 5 lbs 5 oz. Pdf the manifest importance of reducing the incidence of low birth weight is most obvious for the first year of life. The percentage of infants who had low birthweight weighing less than 2,500 grams, or 5. Babies are born with low birth weight because of prematurity being born too early, poor intrauterine growth growing too slowly in the womb, or both. In the early 80s the distinguished english epidemiologist david barker, formulated a hypothesis suggesting that many events that occur during. Those who survive are more likely to suffer from stunted growth1 and lower iq. Low birth weight is not synonymous with preterm deliveries.
Premature birth is a term for a baby born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Normal weight at term delivery is 25004200 g 5 pounds 8. Maternal factors in predicting low birth weight babies. Although reliable data on the magnitude and global distribution of low birth weight lbw, birth weight pdf available in journal of the royal society of medicine 8811. The ebook is optimized for ereader devices and apps, which means that it offers a much better digital reading experience than a pdf, including resizable text and. About 6% of all babies are estimated to be born with a low birth weight. During our phylogenetic evolution we have selected genes, the so called thrifty genes, that can help to maximize the amount of energy stored from every consumed calorie. Verylowbirthweight individuals those weighing less than 1,500 g at birth experience educational and intelligence deficits that last into young adulthood, according to data from a longitudinal study in ohio. Pdf social causes of low birth weight researchgate. A vlbw baby weighs less than 1500 grams, or about 3 lb 9 oz.
The general aim of this thesis is to describe and discuss birth weight, physical growth and breastfeeding of children, as well as associated factors, from birth to 24 months of age in. Birth weight is the weight of the newborn measured immediately after birth. The analysis in this chapter is limited to singleton one baby births. In general, the causes of iugr can be due to maternal, fetal, and placental factors. Sep 17, 2015 birth weight is an important determinant of child survival and development. A lowbirthweight baby may be healthy even though he or she is small. Low birth weight is defined as weight at birth, less than 2500 g up to and including 2499 g irrespective of gestational age who, 1976. Prematurity and low birth weight urban child institute. A newborns weight at birth is an important marker of maternal and fetal health and nutrition. Low birth weight health encyclopedia university of. Risk factors of low birth weight and effect of them on.
Oct 01, 2012 very low birth weight has been linked to longterm abnormalities in brain development, as measured by mri at age 8 and 12. Low birth weight refers to babies who weigh less than 5. The utah 2018 rate is below the healthy people 2020 objective target 7. Low birth weight is an outcome that has been of concern to physicians for years. Very low fertility consequences, causes and policy. Health effects low birthweight and the environment cdc. Subcategories include very low birth weight vlbw, which is less than 1500 g 3 pounds 5 ounces, and extremely low birth weight elbw, which is less than g 2 pounds 3 ounces. Statistics canada, canadian vital statistics system, 19912000 unlinked live birth files. Arnold and david 1995 defined low birth weight infants as infants born weighing significantly less than normal who need special. Top 10 causes of low birth weight babies howstuffworks. Longterm implications of being born low birth weight lbw. Nearly all low birthweight babies need specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit nicu until they gain weight and are well enough to go home. Low birthweight is when a baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
Sachdev, professor and incharge, division of clinical epidemiology, department of pediatrics, maulana azad medical college, new delhi 110 002. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 8k, or click on a page image below. The global incidence of lbw is around 17%, although estimates vary from 19% in the developing countries countries where it is an important public health problem to 57% in the developed countries. Preventing low birthweight the national academies press. A low birth weight baby may be healthy even though he or she is small. Despite decades of research and prevention efforts, low birthweight less than 2,500 grams, or 5 lbs. When a baby is born weighing less than 2,500 grams 5 lbs, 8 ounces he or she is considered to have a low birth weight. Health economics program, program on children birth weight has emerged as the leading indicator of infant health. A large number of infant deaths can be averted by appropriate management of low birth weight babies and prevention of factors associated with low birth weight. Incidence of low birth weight among newborns measure. Very low fertility consequences, causes and policy approaches peter mcdonald introduction this paper addresses the issue of very low fertility in countries with advanced economies including its consequences and its causes. Longterm consequences of low birth weight sciencedirect. In the early 80s the distinguished english epidemiologist david barker, formulated a hypothesis suggesting that many events that occur during the. Birth weight and growth during the first two years of life.
But a low birth weight baby can also have many serious health problems. The problem of low birth weight although reliable data on the magnitude and global distribution of low birth weight lbw are limited, it is estimated that approximately 16 percent of all neonates in developing countries weigh less than 2,500 grams at birth and that more than 20 million such infants are born each year. There are multiple causes of low birth weight, including early. A hospitalbased retrospective case control study was conducted in maternity ward of tribhuvan university teaching hospital from february to july 2011. Each additional baby increases the risk significantly. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of low birth weight among mothers who delivered at governmental hospitals, northern. A low birth weight baby will fall into one of three categories. Risk factors of low birth weight and effect of them on growth. After his initial findings a myriad of diseases have been found to be linked to low birth weight and undernutrition in utero and in the neonatal. Low birthweight a babys low weight at birth is either the result of preterm birth before 37 weeks of gestation or of restricted foetal intrauterine growth. A womans behaviour during pregnancy including diet, smoking habits, and receiving prenatal care can greatly alter the chances of carrying the. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of low birth weight among mothers who delivered at governmental hospitals. Although the etiologies are different, they often have the final common pathway. Arnold and david 1995 defined low birth weight infants as infants born weighing significantly less than normal who need special formula preparations to meet their nutritional requirements.
The causes of racial inequities in low birth weight are many, and each program and bureau has a. The problem of low birth weight improving birth outcomes. In a 2010 study that included close to 300 mothers followed for 14 years after the birth of a very lowbirthweight child, mothers of children with ongoing medical issues also had ongoing stress. Low birth weight in the united states the american journal. Mental health of extremely low birth weight survivors. Babies born with extremely low birth weight are not only at risk for physical problems but are also more likely to experience mental health problems later in life, according to an analysis of. Full text get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 8k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Very low birth weight refers to babies who weigh less than 3. To enlist the risk factors of low birth weight among low birth weight newborns admitted in pediatric ward of sheikh zayed hospital. To assess trends in the birth weight, the proportion of low birth weight, maternal factors and health care facilities for delivery in villages of western maharashtra from the year 2004.
Dec 12, 2019 this statistic represents the percentage of newborns born with a low birth weight in the united states, as of 2018, by state. Birth and developmental correlates of birth weight in a. An increase of 1 kg of weight at birth was associated with a 0. This study was conducted from 5 to 30 january 2015, in pediatric ward of department of sheikh zayed th th hospital, rahim yar khan. Birth and developmental correlates of birth weight in a sample of children with potential sensory processing disorder simone v gill1, teresa a maybenson2,3, alison teasdale2,3 and elizabeth g munsell1 abstract background. This is due to the fact that infant mortality rates and birth defect rates are very high for low birth weight babies. An imbalance in the amount of stored calories can lead to many diseases. The costs of low birth weight douglas almond, kenneth y.
The incidence in spain in the decade 19801989 was about 5. Our study aimed at identifying major determinants of low birth weight among term babies in nepal. Birth weight has emerged as the leading indicator of infant health and welfare and the central focus of infant health policy. However, it is important to understand that not all low birth weight babies have some underlying medical condition or problem. Low birthweight in newborns symptoms and causes boston. The national healthy people 2020 objective is to reduce the total lbw rate to no more than 7. Low birth weight is more common in developing than developed countries. Thus, a low birth weight infant could be born preterm or could be born at term gestation following a period of poor intrauterine fetal growth. The underlying causes of both ptb and iugr are multifactorial. Low birthweight newborns have a higher risk of dying in the first 28 days of life. The prevalence of low birth weight babies is about 39. Low birth weight at term and its determinants in a tertiary. Top 12 causes of low birth weight in babies being the parent. The preterm rates are approximately 60 percent for twins, 90 percent for triplets, and about 100 percent.
In some cases, babies born prematurely or with intrauterine growth restrictions two leading causes of low birth weight see below may see an increase in risks for complications such as mental retardation, vision loss, andor learning problems. Neonatal morbidity is directly related to birth weight and. Low birth weight policy brief world health organization. Some effects of low birth weight have been shown to persist into adulthood. The mortality of low birth weight can be reduced if the maternal risk factors are detected early and managed by simple techniques. Among all the various groups living in the united states, the very high preterm birth rate in black women stands out and to this date remains mostly unexplained. It ends with a discussion of policy approaches to reverse very low fertility. Birth weight of a child is an important indicator of its vulnerability for childhood illness and chances of survival.
The report of the international low birth weight lbw symposium and workshop, held at the international centre for diarrhoeal disease research, bangladesh icddr,b. Low birthweight nutrition policy discussion paper no. Low birth weight is a term used to describe babies who are born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces 2,500 grams. After his initial findings a myriad of diseases have been found to be linked to low birth weight and undernutrition in utero and in the neonatal period. Babies with low birth weight neonatology jama jama. The two main causes for a baby to be born at a low birth weight are premature birth and intrauterine growth restrictions iugr.
As of that year, mississippi had the highest rate of low birth weights. Low birth weight refers to those infants born weighing less than 2500g. A pdf is a digital representation of the print book, so while it can be loaded into most ereader programs, it doesnt allow for resizable text or advanced, interactive functionality. When a woman carries more than one baby, her risk of premature delivery skyrockets. The bphc will specifically target the low birth weight rate for black infants. One of the very large success stories in the united states and other developed countries is the improved survival in very lbw infants over the past 3 decades. Some lowbirthweight babies are healthy, but others have serious health problems that need treatment. At population level, the proportion of infants with a low birth weight is an indicator of a multifaceted public health problem that includes longterm maternal malnutrition, ill health, hard work and poor health care in pregnancy. Another common cause of low birth weight is intrauterine growth.
Low birth weight in the united states the american. Very low birth weight has been linked to longterm abnormalities in brain development, as measured by mri at age 8 and 12. Disadvantages from very low birth weight last into young. So far, the prevalence and traditional maternal feeding practice correlates of low birth weight have not been explored well in ethiopia. Birth weight is an important determinant of child survival and development. Low birth weight is a newborn birth weight less than 2,500 grams 5 lbs. The most common cause of low birth weight is premature birth, which means that the baby spent less time growing in the mothers uterus. A baby is said to have low birth weight if he or she weighs less than 5 pounds,8 ounces at birth. Low birth weight at term and its determinants in a.
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