Browsing by Author "Kebede, Assegid"

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    Health Consequences of low birth Weight in Ethiopia
    (Addis Abeba Universty, 1989-05) Kebede, Assegid; La rson, Charles(PhD)
    An historical cohort of 116 low birth weight (LBW) and an equal number of no rmal birth weight ( NBW ) c hildren between 1 and 40 months of age who were delive red in the Jimma Regional Hospital were assessed in terms of their nutritional status and morbidity history. In this record linkage of hospital and community based study, exposure variables of birth weight and birth length were obtained from the hospital data base. Prenatal expopures, categor i zed as socio- demographic and obstetric risk factors were obtained by interviewer administered questionnaire to mothers, along with the current health and nutritional status of the children . The study revealed significant higher risks in LBW children for current morbidity of 2.02 ( 1.1, 3.7) and frequent illness of 6.0 (2.3, 15 .9). Comparison of nutritional status showed 65% of the LBW and 46% 0+ NBW children to be malnour ished with a re lative risk of 2.2 (1.24 - 1.36). It is concluded that LBW are at increased risk for morbidity and malnutr l tion in early childhood.