Health Consequences of Low Birth Weight in Ethiopia.
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Date
1989-05
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
An historical cohort of 116 low birth weight (LBW) and an equal number of normal birth weight (NBW ) children between 1 and40 months of age who were delivered 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. Prenatl exposures, categorized 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 of6.0 (2.3, 15 .9). Comparison of nutritional status showed 65% of the LBW and 46% 0+ NBW children to be malnourished with a relative risk of 2.2 (1.24 - 1.36).It is concluded that LBW are at increased risk for morbidity and malnutrition in early childhood.
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Keywords
Health ,Low Birth Weight ,Ethiopia