Abstract:
Low birth weight and perinatal mortality are major
public health problems in India. The aim of the study
was to quantify the socioeconomic, maternal biological,
antenatal and intranatal risk factors for perinatal
mortality and low birth weight in Ahmedabad, India.
The study included surveillance of all births in three
hospitals and a nested case control design. Information
was collected on socioeconomic factors, demographic
characteristics, past obstetric history, antenatal
care, and intranatal factors on all perinatal deaths
(451 stillbirths, 160 early neonatal deaths), a sample
of low birth weight cases (644 preterm births and 673
IUGR) and controls (1465) over a period of one year.
Anthropometric measurements were also collected.
A population based survey of mothers (n=ll02) was also
conducted in the city to assess selection bias in case
control study and to estimate the population prevalence
of different risk factors required for calculation of
population attributable risk.
The perinatal mortality rate was 79 per 1000 births in
the three hospitals included in the study. (stillbirth
rate 46.5 per 1000 and early neonatal mortality rate
32.5 per 1000). The proportion of births below 2.5 kg
was about 30 %...
