ABSTRACT
Aims: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major health problem and a significant contributor to neonatal death in both industrialised and developing countries. To examine the birthweight status of newborns and to identity the relationship between birth-weight and other anthropometric parameters of newborns. Study Design: Three districts of Khulna division from South-west region of Bangladesh were our primary study area. Pregnant women attending the selected hospitals and clinics for delivery purpose and their newborn babies during the study period were regarded as the study subjects. A multistage sampling procedure was adopted in selecting the ultimate sampling unit for the present study. Place and Duration of Study: This cross sectional study was carried out among the mothers and their newborn babies at the South-west region of Bangladesh, during the time period January 2008 to December 2008. Methodology: Data of socio-demographic factors, obstetric history, lemal morbidities, anthropometrics parameters of mother, hematological ors, and anthropometric parameters of the newborn baby subsections were collected in a questionnaire form. Anthropometric parameters of the newborns were recorded by the investigator within 18 hours of birth by standard techniques described byJelliffe and Jelliffe in 1989. All the newborns were weighed naked on a spring electronic balance with a maximum paucity of 15kg and a minimum of 125g and 5g subdivisions. The weighing machine was checked daily by known standard weight before weighing. Crown heel length (CHL) was measured to the nearest of 0.1cm on a manometer. Head circumference (HC) was measured between glabella anteriorly and along the most prominent point posteriorly within the 24 hours of delivery. Chest circumference (CC) was measured at the level of nipple at the end phase of expiration. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) was measured at the midpoint between the tip of acromion process and olecranon process of the left upper arm. Data were analyzed using standard statistical methods, which include correlationcoefficient, analysis of variance, simple and multiple regressions, and sensitivity and specificity analyses for different cut-offs of the newborns (CHL, HC, CC, MUAC). Results: The mean birth-weight was 2754.81±465.57g and 28.6% were low-birth-weight (<2,500 g) babies. All key anthropometric parameters of the newborns significantly correlated with infant birth-weight (P<0.05). Mid upper arm circumference and chest circumference were identified as the optimal surrogate indicators of LBW babies. Conclusion: In the community where weighing of newborns is difficult, these measurements can be used to identify the LBW babies.