Low birth weight : the effect of antenatal care

Abstract EN

Objective : To examine the effect of utilization of the antenatal care component of mother and child health services on the birth weight of infants.

Methods : Data were obtained from the register of newborns ofMukalla Hospital for 2 periods: June 1986-December 1988 (N=2155) and January-December 1999 (N=2083).

The analysis was done by comparing the presence and absence of antenatal care for mothers with infants of low birth weight (cases) and infants with normal birth weight (controls).

Result : The mothers who received antenatal care gave birth to a lower percentage of low birth weight infants (5% for 1986-1988 and 9% for 1999) than did the mothers who did not receive antenatal care (8.5% for 1986-1988 and 16.4% for 1999).

The mean birth weight of infants born to mothers who received antenatal care was higher (3229 grams for 1986-88 and 3161 for 1999) than the mean birth weight of infants born to mothers who did not receive antenatal care (3192 grams for 1986-1988 and 2998 grams for 1999).

In addition, the higher the number of visits for antenatal care, the lower was the percentage of low birth weight infants.

The odds ratio of lack of antenatal care among mothers giving birth to low birth weight infants was two times the odds ratio of lack of antenatal care among mothers giving birth to normal birth weight infants.

Concluation: The evidence of the benefit of antenatal care services in terms of higher birth weight was consistent for the two periods of study: 1986-1988 and 1999.