Factors Associated with Low Birth Weight: Analysis from National Family Health Survey-4, India

Excerpt

To the Editor: The weight of a newborn during birth is a crucial determinant of both mother and fetal health and nutrition [1]. Low birth weight (LBW) infants are more likely to die in the first 28 d [2]. This research aimed to determine the many factors affecting birthweight and its relationship to undernutrition. This analysis used individual-level data from the 4th round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), a 2015–2016 nationally representative cross-sectional survey of India. The causes of low birth weight were examined using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. Undernutrition was examined in age groups 0–12, 13–24, and 25–59 mo using Chi-square and ANOVA tests. Of the 259,627 children, the median (IQR) age was 30 (15–45) mo, with a female/male ratio of 1:1.11. The prevalence of low birthweight was 22.64% (95% CI, 22.48–22.80). The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight was 46.6% (95% CI, 46.4–46.8), 17.7% (95% CI, 17.5–17.8), and 29.9% (95% CI, 29.7–30.1) respectively. Households using polluting cooking fuel (AOR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03–1.09) had higher odds of children being born as low birthweight than those using clean cooking fuel. Mothers with 15 to 18 [AOR 1.24 (95% CI 1.13, 1.35)] and 19 to 24 [AOR 1.11 (95% CI 1.09, 1.13)] y of age had higher odds of children being born as low birthweight, compared with mothers 25 to 30 y of age. The prevalence of stunting and being underweight was increasing with age. The prevalence of low birth weight was high in India. Proper antenatal care must be provided to pregnant women on dietary intake. Furthermore, LBW was high among the north-east region where interventions such as community-based education and targeted nutritional interventions are required to decrease LBW. …