Abstract

Background: About 27% of babies born in India are of low birth weight (LBW). Most of the LBW babies die during their first year of life. The infant mortality rate is about 20 times greater for all LBW babies compared with the normal weight babies.
Objective: To determine the proportion of LBW babies delivered in the study setting and to assess the various factors associated with LBW.
Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary-care hospital in Shimoga for a period of 2 months. The study population comprised the postnatal mothers and their newborn babies in McGann Hospital and Teaching Center, Shimoga, Karnataka. A pretested questionnaire was used for the collection of data on the factors associated with LBW. Result: Of the 131 mothers, 41 (31.3%) of them delivered LBW babies. The significant determinants associated with the mothers who delivered LBW babies were as follows: age of the mother <20 years (57.1%), literacy rate (illiterate 56.3%), weight gain during pregnancy <6.5 kg (92.9%), day time rest during pregnancy <2 h (66.7%), birth interval <2 years (73.3%), and hemoglobin level of the mother at the time of delivery <11 g/dL (64.9%). Conclusion: Thus, this study concluded that the problem of LBW is multidimensional. Hence, we need integrated and comprehensive approaches, which institute a combination of interventions to improve the overall health of the women.