Descriptive Study of Factors Affecting Weight Loss in Infants
Keywords: Birth weight, delayed birth, gestational age, intrauterine delay, preterm birth
Ahmad Milad Sabawoon
Abstract
Low Birth Weight (LBW) is one of the major causes of neonatal mortality and has significant short-term and long-term implications for infant health. This descriptive study was conducted using a structured questionnaire to identify and analyze the factors influencing low birth weight and the relationships among these factors. The main objective of this research was to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of LBW at both the hospital and community levels. Data collection was carried out from March 2021 to November 2021 in the 300-bed Tertiary Hospital and the 102-bed Khair Khana Hospital. In total, 140 mothers participated in the study after providing informed consent. The findings indicated that maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), educational level, malnutrition, infections, and pregnancy-related illnesses were among the key factors affecting neonatal birth weight. Mothers with a family history of LBW and those with an inter-pregnancy interval of less than one year were more likely to give birth to LBW infants. Conversely, mothers from higher socio-economic backgrounds and those who received folic acid and multivitamin supplements during pregnancy had a lower incidence of LBW births.
