Risk factors associated with low birth weight delivery in United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of LBW in the UAE and to identify risk factors associated with it. A matched case-control study was conducted between 15 January1992 -14 January1993. Questionnaires that included questions on 26factors were filled for every mother in the two groups. two hundred and ninety three infants born in Al Ain during the study period were of low birth weight [<2500 g]. The control group included the first mother who delivered a baby weighing >2500 g at birth immediately following the birth of the LBW infant. A univariate analysis was carried out on each factor and 14 factors namely, maternal age<20 years, mother's education, mother's occupation absence of household help first degree consanguinity nulliparity maternal BMI<19 previous preterm or LBW delivery premature rupture of membrane multiple deliveries interpregnancy interval<3 months antenatal booking weight at booking and short gestation were found to be significantly associated with LBW. These factors were then allowed to compete in a stepwise multiple logistic regression model Only gestational age previous preterm or LBW delivery maternal BMI<19 antenatal booking multiple births and absence of house work help were retained in the model These variables correctly predicted 90% of the controls to be of normal birth weight and 82% of the cases to be LBW This is the first comprehensive study on risk factors affecting the birth of an infant conducted in the UAE Since only 6 out of 26 different risk factors were found to be significantly associated with LBW reports on significant risk factors from univariate analyses may be spurious with many factors possibly being confounders