Maternal age and parity as risk factors for preterm births and low birth weight among newborns delivered in outskirts of district Mirpurkhas

ABSTRACT

To estimate the frequency of preterm births and low birth weight occurring in union council Jhudo, District Mirpurkhas. To seek association of preterm births and low birth weight with maternal age and parity. Descriptive cross sectional. This study was conducted at Union council Jhudo, District Mirpurkhas. From June 2012 to September 2012. Three hundred households having a new born of age upto seventy two hours. Subjects were selected through convenience sampling method. Among total of three hundred, the frequency of preterm births was 37 [12.33%]; while the frequency of low birth weight was 83 [27.66%]. All the preterm babies were low birth weight. There were 121 women [40.33%] at advanced age, among them preterm delivery was recorded in only 17 women [14.04%] [p=0.16]. Low birth weight babies were delivered to 31 women at advanced maternal age [25.61%] [p=0.04]. Among three hundred recently delivered women, 113 were primipara [37.66%], 98 [32.66%] were multipara and 89 [29.66%] were grand multiparas. Primiparity was seen statistically significantly associated with low birth weight [0.02]; and as parity increased, it did not show significant association with low birth weight.[p=0.12]. Low birth weight and preterm births are still major public health problems in our community. The advanced maternal age and high parity are the risk factors for them in rural and semi-urban areas