Low Birth Weight and Associated Factors in Sudan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Elfatih M Malik1, Abdullah Al-Nafeesah2, Ashwaq AlEed2
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum P.O. Box 321, Sudan.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 27, 2026
Summary
Low birth weight (LBW) affects 13% of neonates in Sudan. Factors like primiparity, short interpregnancy intervals, and lack of supplementation contribute to LBW, informing public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Neonatal Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant global health concern, particularly in resource-limited settings.
- Sudan, a large African nation, lacks systematic reviews on LBW prevalence and associated factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the pooled prevalence of LBW in Sudan.
- To identify factors associated with LBW in the Sudanese population.
Main Methods:
- Searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect for studies on LBW in Sudan.
- Performed a meta-analysis to calculate the pooled prevalence of LBW using the meta package in R.
- Included 10 studies encompassing 10,043 neonates.
Main Results:
- The overall pooled prevalence of LBW in Sudan was 13.0% (95% CI [13.0, 14.0]).
- Associated factors included primiparity, short interpregnancy interval, lack of iron-folic acid supplementation, inadequate antenatal/perinatal care, maternal undernutrition, and lower gestational age.
- Anemia was also linked to LBW in three studies.
Conclusions:
- Sudan exhibits a high prevalence of LBW.
- Identified risk factors can guide the development of targeted preventive strategies for LBW.
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