Association between maternal undernutrition among Sudanese women and newborn birth weight

Maternal undernutrition is a major health problem in developing countries. It is associated with maternal and perinatal morbidity, such as low birth weight (LBW), as well as mortality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal undernutrition among pregnant women in Sudan on newborn birth weight.

This was a cross-sectional study carried in the labor ward of Medani Maternity Hospital in central Sudan between June and December 2019. Data on the mothers' sociodemographic and obstetrics characteristics were collected through a questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were obtained following standard procedures for both mothers and newborns. Linear logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with birth weight.

Three hundred thirty-nine pairs of pregnant women and their newborns were enrolled in the study. Half of the women were primiparas (n = 170, 50.1%). The birth weight range was 1,330-4,640 g, and the mean (standard deviation (SD)) was 3,029.4 (613.0) g. The 10^th and 90^th centiles were 2,450 and 3,790 g, respectively. There was no significant difference in the birth weights of male (n = 160, 3,086.2 614.0 g) and female (n = 179, 2978.6 611.0 g; P = 0.107) newborns. In the linear regression, parity (43.1, P = 0.045), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (39.3 cm, P = 0.001), gestational age (75.6 weeks, P = 0.017), and body mass index (BMI) (0.4 kg/m², P = 0.006) were significantly associated with birth weight. There was no significant association between age, employment, a history of miscarriages, antenatal care, sex of the newborn, interpregnancy interval (IPI), and birth weight.

The main finding was a significant association between parity, gestational age, MUAC, BMI, and birth weight.