Determinants of low birth weight among newborns delivered at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a case-control study

Background: Low birth weight is weight less than 2500 g or 5.5 lb. at birth. Globally, more than 20 million infants (15-20%) are born with a low birth weight each year. Birth weight is the primary indicator of the health status of neonates and is the primary factor that determines the infant's physical, survival, and mental growth. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the determinants of low birth weight among newborn babies delivered at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods: We performed a facility-based unmatched case-control study among 453 (151 cases and 302 controls) deliveries conducted at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital. Birth records and maternal antenatal care (ANC) files were reviewed from March 1 to April 30, 2019. Consecutive sampling was employed to select study participants. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.2.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 25 statistical software. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were computed to identify independent determinants of low birth weight. A p-value of ≤0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.

Result: Four hundred fifty-three birth records of babies (151 cases and 302 controls) were reviewed. Women who reside in rural area [AOR (CI) = 3.12 (1.63-5.98)], being merchant [(AOR (CI) = 2.90 (1.03-8.22)], danger sign during pregnancy [(AOR (CI) = 4.14 (1.68-10.2)], and maternal weight during pregnancy [(AOR (CI) = 4.94 (3.26-7.52)] were found to be a significant determinants of low birth weight.

Conclusion: Residence, occupation, danger signs, and maternal weight during pregnancy were significant determinants of low birth weight. Socioeconomic development, early detection and management of complications, and encouraging nutrition and weight during pregnancy are crucial for minimizing the risk of delivering low birth weight babies.