Factors influencing birth weight in a rural community of Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: Describe the characteristics of birth weights of children in rural Bangladesh. Methods: A cohort of newborn children with respiratory infections and diarrhoea was studied. A census was conducted in 10 villages of Mirzapur, and over 2,200 prospective mothers were listed. Pregnant women were identified and followed up by a female health worker. Women were encouraged to have an antenatal check-up and hospital deliveries. Home deliveries were reported either by the traditional birth attendant or family members. A group of 288 children was enrolled at birth. Birth weights were measured with a Salter scale and recorded from 280 newborns. Most weights (71%) were recorded within 36 hours of birth. Results: Forty-one percent of the newborns had weight below 2.5 kg. Weights taken at different intervals after birth varied. The mean weight was 2.84 kg (± SD 0.50) for those taken in less than 1 hour of birth. Averages of those recorded within 1-24 hour(s) were: 2.47 kg (± SD 0.44), and 2.31 kg (± SD 0.41) for the time interval between 24 and 36 hours. There was a significant difference (p<0.04) in the mean weights between male (2.6 kg ± SD 0.5) and female infants (2.4 kg ± SD 0.5). A highly significant difference (p<0.003) was also observed in respect of birth weights of children and years of schooling of mothers. The average birth weight of infants whose mothers had 6 or more years of schooling was higher (mean 2.83 kg ± SD 0.5) than those with 5 or less years of schooling (mean 2.48 kg ± SD 0.5). The difference in the birth weights of infants of mothers with no schooling compared to those with less than 5 years of schooling was not significant. Infants born before full term had significantly (p<0.001) lower birth weights than those born at full term. Conclusions: In underprivileged communities, many children are born with low birth weights. Except births in hospitals, however, very few studies describing birth weight in Bangladesh have been carried out. Findings of this