Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Short-Term Outcomes of Full-Term Low Birth Weight Infants Born at a Tertiary Academic Center: A Prospective Case-Control Study

Abstract

Objective Low birth weight (LBW) infants (<2,500 g) continued to be a global health problem because of the associated short- and long-term adverse outcomes. The study aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and short-term outcomes of term LBW infants Study Design A prospective and case-control study. All infants born consecutively from September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019 were included. Cases, term LBW infants, were 1:1 matched to controls, appropriate for gestational age (AGA) term infants. Major congenital or chromosomal anomalies and multiple pregnancies were excluded. Results The prevalence of term LBW in the studied period was 4.8%. Mothers of term LBW infants had significantly lower body mass index (p = 0.05), gained less weight (p = 0.01), had a history of previous LBW (p = 0.01), and lower monthly income (p = 0.04) compared with mothers of term AGA infants even after adjustment for confounders. A nonsignificant higher number of term LBW infants needed NICU admission, while their need for phototherapy was deemed significant. Conclusion We identified nutritional and socioeconomic maternal factors that are significantly associated with LBW infants and should be targeted during antenatal visits to improve neonatal outcomes. Key Points LBW infants (<2,500 g) are at risk of short- and long-term morbidities. Poor maternal nutritional and socioeconomic factors increase the risk of LBW infant. Targeting identified risk factors of LBW infant antenatally improve neonatal outcomes.