Sampling survey on low-birth weight in China in 1998 / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the weight of live births and incidence of low-birth weight (LBW) in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A national survey on the weight of live births with gestational ages of 28 weeks or over in 16 cities and 28 counties of 11 provinces in China was carried with stratified sampling during July to October, 1998.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 22 350 live newborns, 11 584 males and 10 766 females, with gestational ages of 28 weeks or more in sampling sites were measured at their birth. Rates of multiple births and preterm birth (< 37 weeks of gestation) were 1.8% and 3.5%, respectively. LBW rates were 4.20% and 6.26% for urban and rural areas, respectively, with a national weighted-average of 5.87%. Full term births (>/= 37 weeks of gestation) accounted for 61.2% and 71.6% of the babies with LBW in national and rural areas, respectively. Their average birth weight was 3 301 g and 3 225 g in urban and rural areas, respectively, with statistically significant difference, and 3 280 g and 3 173 g for boys and girls, respectively, approaching to the values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Live birth weight in the coastal, inland, and remote areas appeared a trend of gradual decrease. Early neonatal mortality of babies with LBW was 50.0 per thousand and 179.4 per thousand in urban and rural areas, respectively, with a national average of 151.5 per thousand, significant higher than those with normal birth weight.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The average birth weight and LBW rate in live births of China were close to those in the developed countries, and there was significant difference in them between varied regions. The majority of LBW in China was attributed to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Early neonatal mortality in babies with LBW was significantly higher than that with normal birth weight. Further intervention measures should be implemented.</p>

A national sampling survey on birth weight in 1998 in China: mean value and standard deviation / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the distribution of live birth weight in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A national survey on live birth weight was performed during July-October, 1998 in China, with stratified sampling. Totally, 22 350 live newborns (11 584 males and 10 766 females) with 28 weeks or more of gestation were measured for their birth weight in the sampling sites during 1998.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ratio of male to female newborns measured was 1.08. The rates of multiple birth and preterm birth (< 37 weeks of gestation) were 1.8% and 3.5%, respectively. Live birth weight was higher in the urban areas (3 301 g) than that in the rural area (3 225 g) (t = 9.4. P < 0.001), the highest in the coastal areas (3 262 g), middle in the inland areas (3 254 g) and the lowest in the remote areas (3 115 g) (F = 177.9, P < 0.001), with a decreasing trend. Live birth weight in the first-class rural areas approximated to that in the urban areas, and that in the second-class, third-class and fourth-class rural areas decreased significantly. The average live birth weight in the fourth-class rural areas was 200 g lower than that in the urban areas.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Generally, the average live birth weight in China was closed to that in the developed countries. But, a big difference in the average live birth weight between regions with varied economic development and health care condition was observed. An intervention measure should be implemented in the poverty-stricken rural areas to increase their average live birth weight.</p>

A case-control study on risk factors for low birth weight in China / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the risk factors for low birth weight (LBW) in Chinese newborns with varied characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A 1:1 matched case-control study, with 999 babies of LBW was performed in 44 counties of 11 provinces in China during July to October, 1998 for identifying their risk factors using simple and multivariate logistic regression models.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The determinants of LBW in China included factors, such as multiparity (OR = 106.9), preterm birth (OR = 18.7), abnormal maternal health status (OR = 2.61) and maternal malnutrition (OR = 3.42), maternal medical conditions during pregnancy (OR = 1.93), maternal schooling (OR = 1.43), et al. Distribution of the risk factors for LBW was significantly different between coastal, inland and remote areas. LBW was mainly attributed to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (71.6%) in the rural areas, and to multiparity and preterm birth, in addition to IUGR, in the urban areas. There was different in the risk factors for LBW with preterm births and IUGR.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is an effective way to reduce incidence of low birth weight in China that all measures for prevention and control should be relevant to its risk factors.</p>