Study of low birth weight babies in Nepal Medical College

This was a retrospective study conducted to study the newborns weigth less than 2500gm delivered in Nepal medical college in the year 2005 and 2006. The cases were studied to find out the incidence and relation of maternal age, parity, gestational age, sex, etiological factors, mode of deliveries with Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies. There were 172 patients with LBW babies out of 1517 patient. Including the 9 twin babies, there were total 181 babies with LBW. Thus the incidence of LBW babies was 11.9%. There were only 26 (15.0%) under 20 years of age. As for parity, 92 (53.0%) were primigravida and 80 (46.0%) were multigravida. There were 6 (3.5%) of the babies less than 28 weeks, 22 (13.0%) between 29 to 32 weeks, 61 (33.7%) between 33 to36 weeks, 78 (43.1%) between 37 to 40 weeks and 14 (7.7%) 41 weeks or above. The babies under 1000gm or 1000 gms were 7 (4.1%),1001-1500 gms were 15 (8.7%), 1501-2000 gms were 40 (23.0%) and 2001-2500 gins were 119 (69.2%). Male babies were 94 (52.0%) and female babies were 87 (48.0%). Caesarian section was 15.7% remaining babies were delivered vaginally. Among the risk factor for LBW babies, spontaeneous preterm labour were 61 (35.5%), intra-uterine growth restriction were 51 (29.0%), antepartum haemorrhage 10 (5.8%), twin 9 (5.2%), pregnancy induced hypertension 12 (7.0%), preterm premature rupture of labour 8 (4.7%), anomalies were 4 (2.3%) and urinary tract infection were 20 (11.6%). Other infection were Typhoid 4 (2.3%) and chest infection 2 (1.2%). Thus the incidence of LBW babies in our hospital is quite high in comparision to the Western world and primigravida has more chance of delivering LBW babies. Spontaeneous preterm labour and intra uterine growth restriction are major risk factor leading to LBW babies. Urinary tract infection also plays important role in spontaeneous preterm labour. So to reduce the prevalence of LBW babies, we should identify in early the high risk pregnancy, taking more care to primigravida, treating clinical and subclinical infection in time to prevent spontaeneous preterm labour, diagonosing and managing the intra uterine growth restricted babies in time.