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Nutritional status of young children born with low birthweight in a low resource setting: an observational study

Flaviah B Namiiro1, Anthony Batte2, Joseph Rujumba3

  • 1Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. bnflaviah@gmail.com.

BMC Pediatrics
|October 19, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Low birthweight survivors face significant undernutrition risks. Over 40% of children studied in Uganda experienced stunting, highlighting the need for targeted interventions for low birthweight infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Globally, over 20 million infants are born with low birthweight annually, with increasing trends.
  • Survivors of low birthweight are susceptible to long-term health issues, including chronic undernutrition.
  • Early childhood nutritional status is critical for development and long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the growth and nutritional status of children born with low birthweight.
  • To determine the prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight in this vulnerable population.
  • To inform targeted interventions for improving health outcomes in low birthweight infants.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted with 251 children aged 22-38 months born weighing ≤2000g.
  • Anthropometric measurements (weight-for-height, height-for-age, weight-for-age z-scores) were used.
  • WHO standards were applied to define wasting, stunting, and underweight; data analyzed using STATA 14.

Main Results:

  • 40.2% of children had normal nutritional status.
  • Prevalence rates were: 3.2% for wasting, 14.4% for underweight, and 42.2% for stunting.
  • Stunting and underweight prevalence exceeded national averages, indicating significant nutritional challenges.

Conclusions:

  • A high proportion (60%) of low birthweight children are at risk of undernutrition in early childhood.
  • Stunting and underweight are prevalent issues, exceeding national figures.
  • Urgent, targeted interventions are necessary for children born with very low birthweight to mitigate lifelong morbidities.
Abstract

Keywords:
Low birthweightNutritionStuntingUnderweightWasting

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