Prevalence and Determinants of Low Birth Weight in Sirte City of Libya.

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to find out the prevalence and determinants of Low birth weight neonates in Sirte city of Libya. This was a crossectional study including 269 newborn babies delivered in Ibnsena hospital, (which caters the Sirte city for deliveries). The study was conducted in the first fortnight of January 2011. Out of 269 neonates 11 were VLBW < 1.5kgs 74 were with low birth weight (1.5 kg to 2.5 kg). The mean weight, standard deviation, standard error and variance was 2.63, 0.59, 0.036 and 0.35 respectively. Association of mothers age with birth weight was insignificant p > .05 ; but highly significant with hypertension , p < .01 at 99% CI . Similarly association of LBW with different variable of mother like anemia, smoking, life style, birth spacing, BMI, parity ,and toxemia of pregnancy was in between significant and highly significant (p < .05 to< .01 at 95/99 % CI at respective DF's. The variables of LBW are addressable to reduce this menace in developing and under developed countries.