A study of birth weight of full term neonates and its′ determinants

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is highly prevalent in India and has a multifactorial causation. There is a need to study and identify the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors determining birth weight. This will help in planning ante natal care more effectively. Materials and Methods : Study-type-cross-sectional study-setting: Hospital based. Study-subject: Mothers and their new borns. Sample size: All the births taken place during the study period. Study period: July 2010-June 2011. Study tools : (0 i) Questionnaire. (ii) pediatric weighing machine. Inclusion criteria : m0 others attending ante natal care (ANC) clinic from 1 st trimester with minimum three antenatal visits, non-anemic at the end of 2 nd trimester, had full-term and singleton delivery. Exclusion criteria : H/O pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), diabetes mellieutus (DM), tuberculosis (TB), urinary tract infection (UTI), delivered preterm and tobacco chewers or mishri users. Statistical Analysis : Percentages, mean and SD of birth weight, χ2 test, ANOVA, Z-test, and Binary logistic. Results: By using birth weight as a continuous data it was observed that birth-weight was significantly associated with maternal age (F = 3.360, df = 2, P = 0.035), education (F = 4.401, df = 4, P = 0.002) and breakfast (z = 3.970, P = 0.00). Proportion of LBW was 42.4%. For analysis, groups of newborns on the basis of birth weight showed significant association between LBW and maternal education (χ2 = 12.734, df = 4, P = 0.013), breakfast (χ2 = 13.241, df = 1, P = 0.00) and evening snacks (χ2 = 4.275, df = 1, P = 0.013). According to the binary logistic regression, breakfast and education were significant and best predictors for birth weight. Conclusion: Education and breakfast are strong determinants of birth-weight. Less educated women need more intense health education