Assessment of maternal factors associated with low birth weight at a tertiary care hospital of South India - an exploratory study.

Introduction : Low birth weight is a major public health problem in many developing countries. Though the causes are multiple, maternal factors of low birth weight are significant. A large number of infant deaths can be prevented if these factors are identified early, and prompt management of low-birth-weight babies will save a life. The objective of this study is to identify the maternal factors associated with low birth weight in newborns among postnatal mothers. Method : An exploratory research design was adopted to assess the maternal factors associated with low birth weight in newborns. Non-probability convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 79 mothers of babies whose birth weight is less than 2,500 gm at 37 weeks’ gestation admitted to a tertiary care hospital. A checklist was used to identify maternal factors contributing to low birth weight and data analysis was done by descriptive statistics. Result : The maternal factors associated with low birth weight in this study were found to be mothers’ weight < 45 kg (64.6%), height < 146 cm (53.2%), psychological stress during pregnancy (84.8%), consumption of excess junk food during pregnancy (64.6%), family history of low-birth-weight babies (50.6%) and haemoglobin level less than 12 gm/dL during pregnancy period (68.4%). Conclusion: There are significant preventable maternal factors associated with low birth weight in newborns. Health professionals should create awareness among pregnant women so that these factors could be addressed at the earliest.