ABSTRACT
A study aimed at determining the means of reducing the prevalence of low birthweight was conducted from August 1984 to January 1985. Fifteen risk factors were selected that can be identified in the first prenatal consultation. The prevalence of these factors was calculated on the basis of 1 209 clinical histories of mothers who had given birth at the Martin Maternity Hospital in Rosario, Argentina. Also calculated were the relative risk and the attributable percentage of risk for low birthweight, retarded intrauterine growth, and preterm birth. A previous history of the mother having delivered low-weight newborns coupled with her having worked more than four hours a day was associated with a significant relative risk of low birthweigh (3.48 and 2.15). Also, those with a history of having delivered low-weight newborns whose weight at the same time was below the 10th percentile were at significant relative risk for retarded intrauterine growth (3.75 and 2.17). The relative risk factors of: previous delivery of low-weight newborns, husband without schooling, mother under 18 years of age, husband unemployed, and mother without any schooling or only incomplete primary education (1.81, 2.04, 1.46, 1.56, and 1.53, respectively). None of the other factors traditionally regarded as risk were significant in this study