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Risk factors for low birthweight in Japanese infants
Insights
Maternal smoking and previous low birthweight (LBW) infants are key risk factors for LBW in Japanese newborns. Live birth order and its interaction with smoking significantly impact LBW risk, necessitating targeted prenatal care and smoking interventions.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal epidemiology
- Maternal and child health
- Public health
Background:
- Low birthweight (LBW; <2500 g) is a significant global health concern.
- Identifying specific risk factors is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
- Japanese infant health data provides a unique population for epidemiological research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify significant risk factors for low birthweight (LBW) in Japanese infants.
- To investigate the influence of maternal behaviors and pregnancy history on LBW.
- To analyze the interaction between maternal smoking and birth order in relation to LBW.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cohort study utilizing data from 23,132 infants in Fukuoka City (1987-1995).
- Parental questionnaires collected information on maternal age, pregnancy history, lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, coffee), prenatal training, and birth order.
- Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the contribution of eight potential risk factors and their interactions to LBW.
Main Results:
- History of a previous LBW infant, maternal smoking, and live birth order were identified as significant risk factors for LBW.
- A significant interaction effect was found between maternal smoking and live birth order on LBW risk.
- The impact of maternal smoking on LBW varied considerably across different birth order strata.
Conclusions:
- Targeted interventions are needed for high-risk groups, including mothers with a history of LBW.
- Comprehensive smoking cessation programs during pregnancy are essential.
- Public health initiatives and educational programs should address the combined risks of smoking and birth order for LBW prevention.
Abstract:
The purpose of our study was to identify risk factors for low birthweight (LBW; birthweight < 2500 g) in Japanese infants. The data was collected from questionnaires completed by the parents of 23132 infants who underwent a standardized well baby check-up for 1-month-old infants, conducted by the Fukuoka City Medical Association from 1987 to 1995. The following eight factors and their second-order interaction terms were examined as potential risk factors for LBW: maternal age at delivery, history of live-born LBW infant, history of abortion in previous pregnancies, maternal smoking, coffee and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, prenatal training and live birth order. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the following three factors and one interaction term significantly contributed to LBW: history of live born LBW infant, maternal smoking, live birth order and the interaction between maternal smoking and live birth order. The smoker-related risk for LBW was quite different in each of the three groups stratified by live birth order. Efforts should be made, for example, to increase the accessibility of early, high-quality prenatal care for the high-risk groups with previous LBW babies and to implement smoking intervention, ranging from specific medical procedures to broad-scale public health and health-related educational programs in schools.