A birthweight less than 2,500 grams 5 pounds, 8 ounces is diagnosed as low birthweight. Premature birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy and fetal growth restriction are the most common causes of low birthweight. Risk factors associated with low birth weight infants in. Children are more riskprone group of the population and low birth weight lbw is the leadingcause of newborns mortality and morbidity. A babys birth weight, rate of postnatal growth and chances of survival are all influenced by the mothers health and dietary intake. Survival data for infants born at ucsf from 19982002 inclusive are. Low birthweight childrens hospital of philadelphia. Overall, black women had a substantially higher risk of low birth weight infants pdf 3 high maternal weight gain pdf 4 failure to thrive pdf 5 slowedfaltering growth pattern pdf back to top 140 low birth weightpremature birth. Risks for preterm delivery and low birth weight are independently increased by severity of maternal anemia. Multiple birth babies are at increased risk of being vlbw because they often are premature. Pdf low birth weight is a multifactorial problem with a wide spectrum of health related problems from its origin to later in life. Premature birth centers for disease control and prevention. When a baby is born weighing less than 2,500 grams 5 lbs, 8 ounces he or she is considered to have a low birth weight.
Compared to infants of normal weight, low birth weight infants may be more at risk for many health problems. A babys low weight at birth is either the result of preterm birth before 37 weeks of gestation or of. Good nutritional status before, during and after pregnancy optimizes maternal health and reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, birth defects and chronic disease in her children in later adulthood. Low birth weight lbw is the medical classification for a baby who weighs less than 2500 gramsor 5 lbs 5 ozat birth. Survival of vlbw babies is directly related to birth weight. Birth weight is the weight of the newborn measured immediately after birth. This can happen for many different reasons which may or may not be related. Risk factors of low birth weight and effect of them on growth pattern. Exposure to air pollution during different gestational. Low birth weight risks include poor growth of the child, leading to both physical and psychiatric problems. The results of studies showed that many risk factors as women younger than 20 years, low maternal weight 50 kg, and smoking during pregnancy, can be the reason of preterm labor and preterm labor is the most risk factors in morbidity and mortality of children. Low birthweight is when a baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. Risk factors associated with low birth weight article pdf available in journal of nepal health research council 92.
Birth weight g survival 500750 74% 7511,000 82% 1,0011,250 92% 1,2511,500 95% longterm outcome. There is accumulating evidence of the impact of low birth weight in adult age. Babies are weighed within the first few hours after birth. Many maternal and fetal factors are determined as risk factors of lbw.
There are multiple causes of low birth weight, including early induction of labour or caesarean birth for medical or nonmedical reasons, multiple pregnancies, infections and chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure5. Longterm consequences of low birth weight sciencedirect. Vlbw and elbw infants are at risk for cerebral palsy. Other babies may even suffer from longerterm problems such as delayed motor and social development or learning disabilities. In men there were no associations between any measurement and the full. Birth weight was not associated with a reported history of depression or with risk of psychological distress at age 16 years. Babies weighing less than 1,500 grams 3 pounds, 5 ounces at birth are considered very low birthweight. However, family members of a low birth rate baby need to be extra vigilant to ensure the child stays healthy.
Babies with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams, irrespective of the period of their gestation are termed as low birth weight. Risk factors of low birth weight and effect of them on. Low birth weight policy brief world health organization. Thus, the barker theory and brenner hypothesis gain more power. The consequences of low birth weight include fetal and neonatal. This study tries to detect related factors to lbw and effect of them on. Pdf risks for preterm delivery and low birth weight are. Some babies may become sick in the first six days of life or develop infections. Department of preventive medicine, college of medicine, ewha womans university, 9111, mok. A low birth weight infant can be born too small, too early, or both. Read on to know low birth weight causes, effects, and complications. Pdf maternal risk factors and consequences of low birth weight in.
Lbw is defined as childs birth weight lower than 2500 g. Babies who survive can have breathing issues, intestinal digestive problems, and bleeding in their brains. Premature birth is one of the most common causes of low birthweight. Exposure to air pollution during different gestational phases contributes to risks of low birth weight b. Birth weight is the weight of a newborn baby, measured immediately at the time of its birth. Pdf risk factors associated with low birth weight researchgate. Health effects low birthweight and the environment cdc.
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