PREVALENCE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW BIRTH WEIGHT IN ARBAMINCH GENERAL HOSPITAL, GAMO GOFA ZONE, SNNPR, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Low birth weight is defined as birth weight less than 2500g. More than 20 million infants are born worldwide each year weighing less than 2500 g and according to Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey,it accounts for 11%. Birth weight plays an important role in infant mortality and morbidity, development, and future health of the child. Weight at birth is directly influenced by general level of health status of the mother. Magnitude of low birth weight in Ethiopia remained higher despite different efforts to reduce it and this might have resulted from the fact that factors identified to be associated with low birth weight in some studies arenot modifiable, rendering difficulty of designing strategy to address it. This study was aimed at assessing factors associated with low birth weight so that earlier prevention is possible. Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with low birth weight in Arbaminch general hospital in 2009 E.C. Methods and materials: A facility based cross-sectional study design was used from August to December, 2017 G.C.A total of 379 mothers who delivered in Arbaminch general hospital in 2009 E.C wereincluded in the study using systematic random sampling technique. Semi-structured and pretested checklist was used to collect the data from the mother’s folder. Data entry was performed using Epinfo7 and analyzedby SPSS version 21. Bivariate and multivariate statistical methods were utilized. Result: The overall prevalence of low birth weight in the study is 8.2% with mean birth weight of 3258.42 ± 658.52 g.Out of 379 mothers, 52.8% delivered male and 50.9% of the mothers from the study were from urban area. In the LBW group, female neonates were higher (64.5%) and majority (71.0%) of the mothers were rural residents. The mean mothers’ age was 24.8 ± 4.5 years with a range of 16 to 41.The following factors were shown to have significant association with LBW: Being preterm (AOR = 4.4; (95 % CI = 0.008–0.227; p< 0.001), having only one ANC contact (AOR = 8.6; (95 % CI = 1.77–4.17; p=0.008) and vaginal bleeding before labor (AOR = 4.2; (95 % CI = 6.05–8.64; p<0.001). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study factors associated with LBW are: being delivered at preterm gestational age, having only one ANC contactand vaginal bleeding prior to labor onset. Therefore interventions to increase awareness on benefits of ANC, providing quality ANC service which would in turn result in prevention of preterm delivery and vaginal bleeding are important to decrease LBW magnitude.