Determinants for low birth weight in Asmara, Eritrea: A maternity hospital-based study

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BackgroundLow birth weight (LBW) has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as weight at birth of less than 2,500 grams [1] , with the measurement being taken preferably within the first hour of life, before significant postnatal weight loss has occurred [2] .It is now a well-recognized fact that birth weight is not only a critical determinant of child survival, growth, and development, but also a valuable indicator of maternal health, nutrition, and quality of life [3] .Globally, LBW infants are approximately 20 times more likely to die than heavier babies [4] .LBW results from preterm birth or due to Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation (IUGR) or both [5] .Among some of the consequences of LBW which may place substantial stress are neurodevelopmental handicaps, congenital anomalies and susceptibility to infections.[6,7] .More than 20 million infants worldwide are born with LBW, of which 95.6% are in developing countries.LBW levels in sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Africa are around 15% and 13.5%, respectively.Among the more developed regions, North America averages 8 per cent, while Europe has the lowest regional average at 6 per cent [8] .In Eritrea, the health facility based prevalence for LBW was reported as 7.6% in 2015 [9] .In addition, reports released by National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that the prevalence of LBW in Eritrea declined from 21% in 1995 to 7% in 2010 [10][11][12] .However, a report released by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) puts the LBW for Eritrea for the years 2008 -2012 as 14% [13] .(7, 9, 10) This study was designed to assess the maternal, paternal and neonatal factors associated with LBW babies, an important indicator of maternal and newborn health in Eritrea.Inaddtion, the current changes in factors and the pathways through which that affect LBW babies due to recent changes in socio-economic and demographic factors in Eritrea are not completely understood.Hence, this study aimed to fill the gaps in the earlier research on socio-economic, demographic nutritional and maternal health aspects of LBW in order to help the health planners and policy makers in addressing this issue in Eritrea. Materials and methods Study Design and data collectionThis health facility based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at four maternity hospitals in Asmara; namely, Orotta National Maternity Referral Hospital, Edaga Hamus maternal and child health hospital, Biet Mekea community hospital and Sembel public-private hospital.The study population comprised pairs of mothers and their neonates who attended the maternity care services at hospitals in Asmara.The study units were mothers and their respective newborns available