Seyoum, Girma (Associate professor of Anatomy)Bekele, Alehegn2018-11-232023-11-292018-11-232023-11-292018-10http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/14443Background: Birth weight is the single most important factor determining survival, healthy growth and development of a newborn. An estimated sixteen percent of all babies born globally had low birth weight. Parity and maternal age have been shown to increase the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes, such as intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR), prematurity, low birth weight and mortality. Objective of the study: The study was aimed at investigating the effects of maternal age and parity on birth weight of a term and singleton delivery. Materials and Methods: Institution based retrospective cross sectional study design was employed. The study was conducted in Tikur Anbessa specialized Hospital (TASH), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Four thousand five hundred ninety mothers (4590) with term and singleton delivery in the period of June, 2015 to May, 2017 were included with their respective age at the time of delivery, gestational age (GA), parity, mode of delivery presentation during gestation, ANC follow-up, source of referral and birth weight of the child. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 statistical packages; binary logistic regression was carried out to determine the effect of maternal age and parity with respect tolow birth weight. Result: Grand multiparous women (parity≥5) had an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 3.89at 95% confidence interval (CI =2.19, 6.93), which implies that their risk of giving low birth weight baby is 3.89 times greater than multiparous women (p=2-4). Nulliparous women (p=0) had anAOR of 0.23(at 95% CI= 0.19, 0.38), which reveals that they have no risk of having low birth weight baby compared to multiparous women. Primiparous (p=1) had an AOR of 0.22(95% CI, 0.16, 0.30), this shows that they have norisk of giving low birth weight baby as compared with multiparous women. The current study finding described that maternal age at 40s and above hadan AOR of 1.96(95%CI=1.22, 3.20), which implies that their risk of delivering low birth weight is 1.96 times greater than age groups of 30-34. However, other age groups were not significantly associated with low birth weight. The mean birth weight of newborns of study participants was 3075.41gm (mean SD). Conclusion: Risk of giving low birth weight baby was higher in grand multiparouswomen compared withmultiparous women. In contrast, primiparous and Nulliparous women have no risk of delivering low birth weight baby compared with multiparous women. Mothers with age 40s and above were associated with higher risk of delivering low birth weight newborn compared to age group of30-34.en-USparity, birth weight, maternal age, low birth weight, grand multiparousThesis