The Association of Maternal and Obstetric Factors and Placental Weight With Neonatal Birth Weight: A Study From a Rural Tertiary Care Hospital

Rajsinh Vishwasrao Mohite

Abstract

Background and Aim: Birth weight is considered a significant indicator of the quality of maternal and child health care services. Maternal placental conditions affect the intrauterine growth and development of the fetus. The aim of this study was to determine the association of maternal and obstetric factors and placental weight with the birth weight of neonates.

Materials and Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at a rural community health center in Western Maharashtra, India, in 2018. The data of 110 neonates and their mothers were collected using the nonprobability sampling technique. An interview was conducted, and data pertaining to maternal and neonatal characteristics were recorded in a pretested, structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed statistically.

Results: The proportion of low-birth-weight (LBW) neonates in the study population was 51.7%. The maternal factors such as age < 20 years at the time of pregnancy, anemia during pregnancy, multiparity, and obstetric complications were significantly associated with the birth of LBW neonates (P < . 05). The placental weight at the time of delivery was low in 55.5% of the study population, thus showing that a statistically significant association existed between placental weight at delivery and neonatal birth weight.

Conclusion: Several maternal and obstetric factors and placental weight contributed to the birth of LBW neonates. Thus, controlling and modifying these risk factors can lead to the birth of normal-birth-weight neonates.