Prevalence and factors associated with low birth weight infants at Bang Khla Hospital, Chachoengsao Province

Abstract

This retrospective study used secondary data from medical records of Bang Khla Hospital, Chachoengsao Province. The objectives were: 1) to study the prevalence of low birth weight (low birth weight: 2,500 g) in newborns over a two-year period; and 2) to study factors associated with low birth weight. The study was conducted from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2024, on a population of 212 mothers who received delivery services. The research instrument was a medical record form consisting of four sections: 1) maternal personal factors; 2) pregnancy history, delivery history, and miscarriage history; 3) antenatal care factors; and 4) factors related to delivery history. The instrument was validated for accuracy, precision, and comprehensiveness, with an IOC value between 0.5 and 1.00. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were used for data analysis, along with Fisher’s Exact Test to determine relationships. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05.

            The study found that the prevalence of low birth weight (low birth weight below 2,500 grams) was prevalent among mothers, with the majority (9.34%) being over 20 years old, having no history of miscarriage (10.10%), having their first antenatal care visit less than 12 weeks gestation (8.41%), and having received more than 5 quality antenatal care visits (8.64%). Factors associated with low birth weight included maternal occupation, education level, and gestational age at birth. The hospital can disseminate this information to its target audience to raise awareness of the causes of low birth weight and use the research findings as a guideline for pregnant women to reduce the risk of low birth weight.