PREVALENCE OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AMONG NEONATES ADMITTED TO THE FRENCH MEDICAL INSTITUTE FOR MOTHERS AND CHILDREN

Abstract

Background: Birth weight is crucial for a newborn baby to survive and grow and develop normally. Low birth weight (LBW) is a serious and difficult public health issue. The global average prevalence rate of LBW is 15%, meaning that 20 million out of 130 million newborns annually are LBW.

Aims: The aim of this article is to find the prevalence of low birth weight who are born in the Obstetric/Gynecology Unit of the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC) Hospital of Kabul City. To evaluate the frequency and percentages of maternal risk factors for low birth weight and sex of neonates with low birth weight neonates.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Obstetric/Gynecology Unit of FMIC Hospital, Kabul City. The study population is comprised of all neonates who were born in the Obstetric/Gynecology Unit of FMIC hospital from January until June 2021. the inclusion criteria were Newborns and infants less than 48 hours of life & the

Exclusion criteria were Neonates with incomplete data and whose parents refused to participate. The Sample Size was all neonates who were born in the Obstetric/Gynecology Unit of FMIC during the first six months of 2021.

Results: A total of 795 newborns were born at the French Medical Institute for Mothers during the first 6 months of 2021 year and out of them 59 (7,43 %) of them were low birth weight.

Conclusion: The prevalence of low birth weight at the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children Hospital of Kabul city during the first 6 months of this year was lower than in the other developed countries which is more seen in Low birth weight male babies and multiparous women in middle ages as well as caesarian section delivery.