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Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Levels and risk factors for mortality in infants with birth weights between 500 and 1,800 grams in a developing
1University of Zimbabwe, P O Box A 178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. rosekamb@samara.co.zw
Objective:
To determine levels of mortality and risk factors for mortality in infants born with birth weights below 1,800 gms.
Design:
Prospective descriptive study.
Setting:
Harare Central Hospital in Zimbabwe.
Subjects:
All infants born and admitted to Harare Hospital Neonatal Unit between January and May 2000, with birth weight between 500 gms and 1,800 gms.
Study Factors:
Mothers' age, parity, booking status, mode of delivery, infants' sex, birth weight, use of intensive care, outcome in hospital, age at death and age at discharge from hospital.
Results:
Four hundred and ninety infants were studied. In hospital, the fatality rate was 39.4%. Only 49.4% of mothers had received antenatal care. The median birth weight of those who died was 1,077 gms (Q1 = 500, Q3 = 1,357) while that of the discharged infants was 1,530 gms (Q1 = 850, Q3 = 1690). Risk factors for mortality were birth weight less than 1,500 gms compared to 1,500 gms or more. Odds Ratio (OR) 7.53 (95% CI = 4.66 to 12.23), breech delivery compared to vaginal delivery, OR 2.40 (95% CI = 1.28 to 4.52) and lack of antenatal care OR 1.59 (95% CI = 1.08 to 2.33). Parity, sex of infant and receiving intensive neonatal care were not significantly associated with mortality.
Conclusion:
Strategies to reduce mortality in these infants should include better access to early, high quality obstetric care and avoidance of breech delivery in preterm infants. Identification of avoidable factors leading to preterm delivery is critical.
