Low birth weight and associated maternal factors in an urban area
Deshmukh, J.S.; Motghare, D.D.; Zodpey, S.P.; Wadhva, S.K.
Indian Pediatrics 35(1): 33-36
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 9707902 Document Number: 495795
The prevalence of low birth weight and its association with maternal factors was assessed in a 1994 study of 201 pregnant women from an urban area in Nagpur, India. 61 women (30.3%) delivered a low-birth-weight infant. Multivariate analysis identified the following maternal risk factors for a low-birth-weight delivery: anemia (odds ratio [OR], 4.81), low socioeconomic status (OR, 3.96), short birth interval (OR, 3.84), tobacco exposure (OR, 3.14), height (OR, 2.78), maternal age (OR, 2.68), body mass index (OR, 2.02), and primiparity (OR, 1.58). These findings suggest that a greater emphasis should be placed on encouraging adequate birth intervals, weight gain during pregnancy, avoidance of tobacco chewing and exposure to passive smoke, and prevention of adolescent pregnancy.