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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Maternal height as an independent risk factor for neonatal size among adolescent bengalees in kolkata, India

Samiran Bisai1

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India.

Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences
|March 22, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Maternal height is a critical factor influencing newborn size, especially for adolescent mothers in West Bengal. Shorter mothers face a significantly higher risk of delivering low birth weight babies, highlighting a key public health concern.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Low Birth Weight (LBW) is a significant public health issue in developing nations, influenced by multifactorial causes.
  • Adolescent maternal anthropometry's impact on neonatal size in West Bengal remains under-researched.
  • This study aimed to identify maternal anthropometric factors influencing neonate weight and length in Bengalee mothers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal anthropometric characteristics and neonatal outcomes (weight and length) in adolescent mothers.
  • To determine which maternal anthropometric factors have the most significant impact on neonate size.
  • To assess the risk of delivering low birth weight babies based on maternal height categories.

Main Methods:

  • A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 72 adolescent mother-baby pairs in South Kolkata, India.
  • Maternal anthropometric measurements and Body Mass Index (BMI) were recorded immediately postpartum.
  • Linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between maternal anthropometry and neonatal size.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) was 52.8%, with 64% of undernourished mothers delivering LBW babies.
  • Maternal height was the most significant predictor of both neonatal weight (12.9% variation) and length (16.1% variation).
  • Short mothers (height ≤145 cm) had a substantially higher risk (2.74 to 9.0 fold) of delivering LBW babies compared to average or tall mothers.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal height is a strong, significant determinant of neonatal size in this population.
  • The findings suggest potential serious health implications for Bengalee adolescent mothers and their neonates.
  • Further validation with larger sample sizes is recommended to confirm these preliminary findings.
Abstract

Keywords:
BengaleeIndiaKolkataadolescentsmaternalneonates

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