Case-control study on risk factors associated with low birth weight

Authors

  • Flor Betzabet Morocho Quinchuela
  • Kenia Peñafiel Jaramillo
  • Evelyn Betancourt Rubio

Keywords:

low birth weight, smoking, urinary tract infection, prenatal control, bleeding in pregnancy

Abstract

Introduction: Low birth weight should be further investigated to understand how risk factors may influence this condition in newborns.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the risk measure associated with smoking, urinary tract infection, lack of prenatal control and bleeding in pregnancy, in relation to the risk of low birth weight, using a case-control study design.

Methods: The study was retrospective, analytical, observational and cross-sectional, framed in a case-control design. The study included 610 pregnant patients from a hospital in Quito, Ecuador, during the year 2022. Half of them (305) had low birth weight (case group), while the other half (305) did not (control group).

Results: Smoking increased the probability of having a low birth weight newborn by 2,702 times, urinary tract infection 1,998 times, lack of prenatal control 2,032 times and hemorrhage 1,870 times.

Conclusions: The results confirmed that smoking, urinary tract infection, lack of prenatal control and hemorrhage in pregnancy are significant risk factors for the development of low birth weight. These findings are of great relevance in the field of maternal and child health and can serve as a basis for the implementation of preventive strategies and appropriate care aimed at improving the health and well-being of newborns.

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Published

2023-09-01

How to Cite

1.
Morocho Quinchuela FB, Peñafiel Jaramillo K, Betancourt Rubio E. Case-control study on risk factors associated with low birth weight. Rev Cubana Inv Bioméd [Internet]. 2023 Sep. 1 [cited 2026 Feb. 1];42(2). Available from: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/2995