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Updated: May 24, 2026
19:15
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
[Environmental pollution, maternal residence and low birth weight]
Marli Terezinha Stein Backes1, Maria Cristina Flores Soares
1Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil. julianavf@hotmail.com
Revista Brasileira De Enfermagem
|March 2, 2012
Summary
Maternal risk factors like hypertension and previous low birth weight (LBW) babies increase the risk of newborns having LBW. Living near industrial areas may also contribute to LBW risks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Reproductive Health
Context:
- Investigated risk factors for low birth weight (LBW) in newborns from mothers residing near an industrial area in Rio Grande-RS.
- Utilized a case-control study design interviewing mothers from April to November 2003.
- Sample included 138 cases and 409 controls.
Purpose:
- To analyze the risk factors associated with low birth weight (LBW) in newborns.
- To identify specific maternal and environmental factors influencing infant birth weight.
Summary:
- Low Birth Weight (LBW) was positively associated with prior stillbirths, previous LBW infants, maternal hypertension during pregnancy, and threatened abortion.
- Statistical analysis revealed key risk factors impacting birth weight.
- Findings suggest that proximity to industrial areas, potentially increasing pollutant exposure, is an additional risk factor for LBW.
Impact:
- Provides crucial data for public health interventions targeting pregnant women in industrial vicinities.
- Highlights the need to address environmental exposures alongside traditional obstetric risk factors.
- Informs policy development for protecting maternal and infant health in industrialized regions.
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