Bio-Social factors of the mothers and birth weight of their newborns in a tertiary hospital, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Low Birth Weight (LBW) is one of the major problems of children in Bangladesh. LBW can be prevented by looking into its associated factors. Objective: To explore the bio-social factors of the mothers and its relationship with the birth weight of their new born babies. Methods: This cross sectional type of descriptive study was conducted among the mothers, who delivered their babies at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The sample size was 298. Data were collected from the respondents by face to face Interview through a partially structured questionnaire. Data analysis involved simple descriptive as well as analytical techniques including chi-square and Fisher's Exact test. Results: A total of 298 newborns, only 6.6% had birth weight <2500 grams. Prevalence of LBW among the anemic mothers and mothers having body weight < 45 kgs in 3d trimester were significantly higher than that of non anaemic mothers (P=0.039) and the mothers of body weight 45 kg (P=0.002). Conclusion: Prevention of Maternal malnutrition and anaemia may reduce the incidence of LBW in Bangladesh.