A study of low birth weight infants in an urban community

The study concerns the problem of low birth weight as seen in a prospectively studied cohort from a South Delhi urban community covering 23,700 families and 1,19,799 population over a four year period from 1969-73. The incidence of low birth weight was 22.9 per cent of which 2.7 per cent had a birth weight of 2000 gms. or less and 20.2 per cent had a birth weight 2001-2500 gms. Maternal height of 140 cms or less and pregravid weight of 35 kg or less were associated with the occurrence of low birth weight infant. The mortality was related inversely to birth weight and the gestation affected the outcome directly. The mortality rates declined sharply in infants of birth weight 2001-2500 gms but was still high as compared to infants of birth weight more than 2.5 kg. The later physical growth was affected by the initial birth weight. The study was conducted under the research project 01-658-2 funded by the National Centre for Health Statistics, 3700 East West Highway, Hyattsville, Maryland-20782, U.S.A.