Epidemiological determinants of low birth weight: A prospective study

CONTEXT: Infant and child survival is recognized as an essential ingredient for the overall health of a society. AIMS: To study the magnitude and epidemiological determinants of LBW. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Community-based longitudinal study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted for a period of 1 year in Block R.S Pura, Jammu where 364 pregnant women registered at four randomly selected PHCs were followed to assess the magnitude of LBW and to study its association with various determinants. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data was analyzed using MS Excel and Open epi version 3.01. RESULTS: Severe anemia, heavy physical activity, low socioeconomic status, illiteracy, extreme ages, and short stature of women were found to be significantly associated with a higher incidence of LBW babies. CONCLUSION: There is a need to focus on the sensitization of grass-root level health workers as well as pregnant females and their families on the importance of antenatal care, good dietary practices, etc., Thus, strengthening the primary health care system is vital in ensuring optimum health of both mothers and newborns.