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Levels and patterns of intrauterine growth retardation in developing countries
M de Onis1, M Blössner, J Villar
1Nutrition Unit, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Insights
Millions of infants in developing nations are born with low birth weight (LBW) or intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Urgent public health interventions are needed to prevent fetal growth issues and improve infant health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Pediatrics
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and low birth weight (LBW) are significant global health concerns.
- Developing countries face disproportionately high rates of these conditions compared to developed nations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the prevalence and geographical distribution of IUGR in developing countries.
- To assess the burden of LBW and IUGR on newborns in these regions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of birth weight data to estimate the incidence of LBW (< 2500g) and IUGR (birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age).
- Geographical mapping of affected populations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Main Results:
- An estimated 13.7 million infants annually are born with LBW (11% of newborns), and 30 million with IUGR (23.8%).
- Rates of LBW are approximately six times higher in developing countries than in developed ones.
- Over 75% of affected newborns are in Asia, with significant numbers in Africa and Latin America.
Conclusions:
- Many developing countries exceed recommended thresholds for IUGR and LBW, indicating a public health crisis.
- Population-wide strategies are urgently needed to prevent fetal growth retardation and mitigate its impact.
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to quantify the magnitude and describe the geographical distribution of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in developing countries. We estimate that at least 13.7 million infants are born every year at term with low birth weight (LBW), representing 11% of all newborns in developing countries. This rate is approximately 6 times higher than in developed countries. LBW, defined as < 2500 g, affects 16.4% of all newborns, or about 20.5 million infants each year. IUGR defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile of the birth-weight-for-gestational-age reference curve, represents 23.8%, or approximately 30 million newborns per year. Overall, nearly 75% of all affected newborns are born in Asia--mainly in South-central Asia--20% in Africa, and about 5% in Latin America. Although some of these are healthy, small infants who merely represent the lower tail of a fetal growth distribution, in most developing countries a large proportion of newborns suffer from some degree of intrauterine growth retardation. These data demonstrate that many developing countries currently exceed the internationally recommended IUGR (> 20%) and LBW (> 15%) cut-off levels for triggering public health action, and that population-wide interventions aimed at preventing fetal growth retardation are urgently required.