Low birth weight and some factors affect it in newborns (Gorgan 1996)

Low birth weight (LBW) is the main known determinant mortality in under 1 year old children particularly in neonates. The aim of this research is to study the rate of LBW and evaluation of some effective factors in LBW, such as: Difference races, residential conditions, maternal age, parity. This research is analytic-descriptive and cross-sectional study. The study population consists of 2183 newborns that are given birth in Dezyani Hospital during 1996. These samples were chosen by systemic randomized technic (3:1). Information was gathered by a questionnaire. The findings show that LBW rate was 6.3% in population under study, which in male and female newborns were 5.7% and 6.9% respectively. The LBW rates in newborns with mothers age?18 years old and those with? 35 years were 1.8% and 1.4% folds higher than LBW rates for newborns with mothers age 19-35 years. The LBW percentage for primiparous women were 1.9 folds to multiparous who had 2-4 deliveries. LBW rates for newborns with Systanie race were approximately 1.8 folds higher than newborns with Torkman ethnic. The results of this study indicate factors such as: Maternal age, race, parity, affect on LBW rates.