study of maternal determinants influencing birth weight of newborn

Background: Birth weight is an important indicator of a child′s vulnerability to the risk of childhood illness and chances of survival. The identification of factors contributing to low birth weight (LBW) is therefore of paramount importance. Objective: The objective was to investigate effects of maternal factors on birth weight of the baby. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional hospital-based study, data collection was done on 100 women for their age at the time of delivery, gestational age (GA), parity, height, weight, hemoglobin, blood sugar, blood pressure, sex of the delivered child, and weight of the child during the period from June to August 2014. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, receiver operative characteristic (ROC) curve, and logistic regression analysis were used. Results: The proportion of LBW (<2500 g) was found to be 36.8% in the infants. Anemia was seen in 67% of the women. Bivariate analysis showed that GA (r = 0.68) was significantly associated with LBW (P < 0.05). ROC analysis revealed sensitivity (86% and 81%) and specificity (60% and 64%) for GA and parity, respectively. Furthermore, GA <37 and parity <2 found to increase risk of LBW by 8.9 and 4.5 times, respectively (P < 0.05). Maternal age, height, weight, and sex of the child had no statistical significant effect on determining the risk of LBW. Conclusion: GA and parity were found to be the important maternal parameters influencing the birth weight of the child.