Risk factors for intrauterine growth retardation: results of a community-based study from Karachi.

There is a serious lack of community-based information on low birthweight or intrauterine growth retardation from Pakistan. A community based prospective study was conducted in four squatter settlements of Karachi, to examine the prevalence and risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcome. This paper reports on the prevalence and risk factors for intrauterine growth retardation (<10th percentile birthweight gestational age) among 755 singleton births. The incidence of intrauterine growth retardation was 25.4% (192 intrauterine growth retarded and 563 appropriate for gestational age). Major socioeconomic risk factors identified were low maternal education (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.0,2.1) and poor housing material (RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0,3.0). Among the significant biologic factors, primiparity (RR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4,2.7), consanguinity (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.4,2.7), consanguinity (RR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1,1.8), short birth to CI = 1.1,2.1), short stature (RR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.6,3.0), low maternal weight (RR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6,2.5) and non-vegetarian diet (RR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.3,4.2) were especially important. Investigations to assess the adverse mortality and morbidity effects of intrauterine growth retardation are ongoing.