Abstract:
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a leading cause of neonatal mortality. In most
developing countries, it was estimated that every ten seconds an infant die from a condition that
can be attributed to LBW. Approximately, >80% of neonatal deaths occurring in Ethiopia are
attributable to LBW. The aim of this study was to assess the determinants of LBW associated
with maternal related risk factors in public Hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019.
Objective: - To identify determinates of low birth weight at public hospitals of Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia,2019.
Methods: Facility-based unmatched case-control study involving 120cases and 239 controls was
conducted from November 2018to February 2019 in selected public hospitals of Addis Ababa
City. Consecutive live births of < 2500 g and two succeeding normal weight (2500g to 4000g)
babies were selected as cases and controls, respectively. Cases and controls were recruited on an
ongoing basis until the required sample sizes were fulfilled. Data were collected by interviewing
mothers, reviewing medical records and measuring the anthropometry of the newborns. Data
were entered in to Epi-data software version 7, and exported to SPSS version 21 and analyzed
using frequency, mean and percentage. Factors with p < 0.25 during bivariate analyses were
entered into a multivariable logistic regression model to determine significant determinants of
LBW. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05 and the outputs of the analyses were
presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the respective 95% confidence interval (CI).
Result: After adjusting for potential confounders using multi variable logistic regression analysis,
receiving antenatal care less than four visits[AOR 3; 95% CI: 1.04,6.49], late first antenatal care
visit[AOR 4; 95% CI: 1.12,11.31], lack of nutritional counseling [AOR 3; 95% CI: 1.09,9.76]
were found to be significant determinants of low birth weight in this study.
Conclusion & recommendation- Receiving antenatal care less than four visits, late first
antenatal care visit and lack of nutritional counseling were significant determinants of low birth
weight in this study. Attention to nutritional education, early antenatal care interventions,
educating women on the national guidelines on Focused ANC (FANC) which advocates for at
least 4 visits and strengthening of maternal and child health assists in combating LBW.
........................................ Thesis available at ACIPH Library