Occurrence and Risk Factors of Low Birth Weight in Sana’a, Yemen

• Main Authors: Alia A Shuaib, Kaima A Frass
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria University 2017-06-01
• Series: Journal of High Institute of Public Health
• Subjects: low birth weight; occurrence; risk factors
• ISSN: 2357-0601; 2357-061X

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) remains prevalent and represents a public health problem in developing countries. Objective(s): The aim of present study was to estimate the occurrence and risk factors of low birth weight in Sanaa’, Yemen. Methods: A case-control study was conducted at Al Kuwait University Hospital, Sana'a over a year. The study included all 181 women who delivered LBW single neonates ≥37 weeks of gestation. One hundred-eighty women who delivered babies ≥ 2500 g were taken as a control group. A questionnaire was prepared and included all maternal demographic and obstetric information. The maternal antenatal records were reviewed and birth weight was recorded. Results: The occurrence of LBW was 18%. The mean birth weight was 2215.8±162.5 g. The majority of mothers giving birth to LBW infants were in the age group 20 to less than 30 (73.5%), and about 60% were from rural areas and low socioeconomic level. Also, 79.6% of the mothers giving LBW infants were anemic, compared to only 16.1% of the control group; in addition 35.4% of them were chewing Khat, compared to only 20.6% of the control group, the differences were statistically significant. About 68% of LBW infants needed neonatal ICUs, 43% were delivered by caesarean section and 8.8% were still births. Maternal education significantly increased the mean birth weight by an average of 244 g for primary level, 270 g for secondary level and 348 g for university level when compared to non-educated mothers (P=0.001). It was also found that parity has significantly increasing effect on the mean birth weight among the group of LBW of plus 50 g for mothers with 3 parities when compared to mothers with single parity (P= 0.05). Conclusion: Maternal education was found as one of the determining factors significantly associated with increasing birth weight of neonates. Occurrence of low birth weight can be reduced by increasing the education level.