Dataset Information

Maternal Determinants of Birth Weight in Northern Ghana.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Weight at birth is usually considered as an indicator of the health status of a given society. As a result this study was designed to investigate the association between birth weight and maternal factors such as gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy BMI and socio-economic status in Northern Ghana.

Methods

The study was a facility-based cross-sectional survey conducted in two districts in the Northern region of Ghana. These districts were purposively sampled to represent a mix of urban, peri-urban and rural population. The current study included 419 mother-infant pairs who delivered at term (37-42 weeks). Mother's height, pre-pregnancy weight and weight changes were generated from the antenatal records. Questionnaires were administered to establish socio-economic and demographic information of respondents. Maternal factors associated with birth weight were examined using multiple and univariate regressions.

Results

The mothers were generally well nourished before conception (Underweight 3.82%, Normal 57.76%, Overweight 25.06% and Obesity 13.37%) but approximately half of them could not gain adequate weight according to Institute of Medicine recommendations (Low weight gain 49.64%, Adequate weight gain 42.96% and Excessive weight gain 7.40%). Infants whose mothers had excess weight gain were 431g (95% CI 18-444) heavier compared to those whose mothers gained normal weight, while those whose mothers gained less were 479g (95% CI -682- (-276) lighter. Infants of mothers who were overweight and obese before conception were 246g (95% CI 87-405) and 595g (95% CI 375-815) respectively heavier than those of normal mothers, whereas those whose mothers were underweight were 305g (95% CI -565 -(-44) lighter. The mean birth weight observed was 2.98 ± 0.68 kg.

Conclusion

Our findings show that pre-pregnancy body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy influence birth weight. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on counseling and assisting pregnant women to stay within the recommended weight gain ranges.

SUBMITTER: Abubakari A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4539219 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Maternal Determinants of Birth Weight in Northern Ghana.

Abubakari Abdulai A Kynast-Wolf Gisela G Jahn Albrecht A

PloS one 20150817 8

<h4>Objectives</h4>Weight at birth is usually considered as an indicator of the health status of a given society. As a result this study was designed to investigate the association between birth weight and maternal factors such as gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy BMI and socio-economic status in Northern Ghana.<h4>Methods</h4>The study was a facility-based cross-sectional survey conducted in two districts in the Northern region of Ghana. These districts were purposively sampled to represen ...[more]

PMID: 26281013

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Project description:BackgroundAdequate maternal nutrition is a key factor for achieving good pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, inadequate dietary intake during pregnancy is considered an important contributor to maternal malnutrition in developing countries. Although some studies have examined the effect of the entire diet on birth outcome, most studies have been very narrow because they considered the effect of single nutrient. The single nutrient approach is a major setback because usually several nutrient deficiencies are more likely to occur than single deficiencies especially in low-income settings.ObjectivesThe main aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal dietary patterns, and practices and birth weight in Northern Ghana.Participant settingsA facility-based cross-sectional survey was performed in two districts in the Northern Region of Ghana. The selected districts were the Tamale Metropolis and Savelugu-Nanton District. These districts were purposively sampled to represent a mix of urban, peri-urban and rural populations, therefore ensuring that the distribution in social groups of the study population was similar to the entire population of the region. In all, 578 mothers who were drawing antenatal and postnatal care services were interviewed using a questionnaire, which asked the mothers about their frequency of consumption of individual foods per week since they became pregnant or when they were pregnant.Statistical analysisWe determined dietary patterns by applying a factor analysis with a varimax rotation using STATA. Multivariate analysis was used to establish association between maternal factors and dietary patterns. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between dietary practices and patterns and birth weight.ResultsWomen who ate outside the home twice a week (OR = 1.6 & 95% CI; 1.1-2.45, P; 0.017) and those who practiced 'pica' (OR = 1.7 & 95% CI; 1.16-2.75, P; 0.008) had increased odds for low birth. Two dietary patterns were identified-namely 'health conscious' and 'non-health conscious'. Health conscious diet (OR = 0.23 95% CI 0.12-0.45 per standard deviation change in scores, P; <0.0001) and dietary diversity score (OR = 0.10 95% CI 0.04-0.13 per standard deviation change in scores, P; <0.0001) showed a protective effect for low birth weight respectively after adjusting for gestational age.ConclusionMothers who practiced good nutrition such as consuming foods across and within the various food groups were less likely to have low birth weight babies. Our findings buttress the importance of optimal nutrition during pregnancy.

Project description:ObjectiveLow birth weight (LBW) is a serious public health problem in low- and middle-income countries and a leading cause of death in the first month of life. In India, about 18% of children are born with LBW (<2500 grams) in 2015-16. In this study, we aim to examine the influence of maternal factors and socio-demographic covariates on LBW in Indian children.MethodsData were drawn from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), conducted in 2015-16. A cross-sectional study was designed using a stratified two-stage sampling technique. Cross-tabulation, Pearson's chi-squared test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to assess the impact of maternal factors and other covariates on children's LBW.ResultsOf total participants (n = 147,762), 17.5% of children were found to be born with LBW. The study revealed that women who had prior experience of stillbirth (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.04-1.38) and any sign of pregnancy complications (AOR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05-1.11) were more likely to have LBW children, even after adjusting for a range of covariates. Maternal food diversity was found to a protective factor against children's LBW. Women with underweight and anemic condition were associated with an increased likelihood of LBW children. Regarding maternity care, women who attended ≥4 ANC visits (AOR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.80-0.88), took iron tablets/syrup during pregnancy (AOR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90-0.98), and delivered in a public health facility (AOR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.79-0.88) were less likely to have LBW babies. Besides, various socio-demographic factors such as place of residence, caste, religion, education, wealth quintile, and geographical region were significantly associated with LBW of children.ConclusionInterventions are needed for adequate ANC utilization, improvement in public facility-based delivery, providing iron supplementation, and uptake of balanced energy-protein diet among pregnant mothers. Besides, special attention should be given to the socio-economically disadvantaged women to address adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes including LBW.

Dataset Information

Maternal Determinants of Birth Weight in Northern Ghana.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Maternal Determinants of Birth Weight in Northern Ghana.

Similar Datasets

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