A clinical study of the various factors predisposing to low birth weight in neonates born in a secondary care hospital in the coastal Udupi district of south India

Higher risk of infections, poor neurodevelopmental outcomes and morbidity is commonly associated with low birth weight (LBW) in neonates. Early identification of risk is an ongoing challenge for pediatricians. The current retrospective study screened 1232 neonates born over a period of one year in a secondary care hospital of south India. The study was designed to study the incidence, the causes and to profile the complications among the LBW neonates.124 of the total neonates were having LBW and of these 74% were females. The mode of delivery was caesarean section for 46% in contrast to 5% in normal birth weight babies. The maternal age was between 26-30 years for 50% cases and 52% of LBW babies were the first child to be born and 96% were singletons. 50% LBW babies were born at term and for 94% of them, the APGAR score recorded at one minute was 7. Our study reveals that majority of the LBW neonates are females and the postnatal complications have been minimum. The incidence of LBW neonates is less compared to the data from other parts of India.