BACKGROUND In Africa low birth weight (LBW) (<2500 g), is the strongest determinant of infant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of maternal anthropometry, education and socio-economic status on gestational age and birth weight. METHODS In 1000 Sudanese mothers with singleton births, anthropometric measurements (weight, height, mid-arm circumference) and...

BACKGROUND Low birth weight (LBW, <2500 g) has been associated with exposure to air pollution, but it is still unclear which sources or components of air pollution might be in play. The association between ultrafine particles and LBW has never been studied. OBJECTIVES To study the relationships between LBW in term born infants and exposure to particles by size fraction, source and chemical co...

s: Background: Giving birth to infants of low birth weight (LBW) (less than 2,500 grams) is a major public health problem worldwide. In an attempt to identify modifiable risk factors for LBW in Saudi Arabia, the present research was undertaken to investigate a potential association between maternal dental health and dental care during pregnancy with LBW due to fetal growth retardation. Material...

BACKGROUND Research has demonstrated an association between low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) and adverse intelligence quotient (IQ) outcomes in childhood and early adolescence. We systematically evaluated whether this association persists into late adolescence and early adulthood and also assessed the influence of age of IQ assessment on effect size. METHODS During Stage 1 (meta-analysis of da...

BACKGROUND Placental malaria (PM) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including low birth weight (LBW). However, the precise mechanisms by which PM induces LBW are poorly defined. Based on the essential role of angiopoietin (ANG)-1 and -2 in normal placental vascular development, we hypothesized that PM may result in the dysregulation of angiopoietins and thereby contribute to LBW out...

BACKGROUND Low birth weight (LBW) is a public health problem linked to lack of equity in populations. Despite efforts to decrease the proportion of newborns with LBW, success has been quite limited. In recent years, studies focused on explaining how social factors influence this problem have shown that populations with greater inequities have a greater proportion of newborns with LBW. METHODS...

INTRODUCTION There is new emphasis on identifying and treating HIV in the first days of life and also an appreciation that low birth weight (LBW) and preterm delivery (PTD) frequently accompany HIV-related pregnancy. Even in the absence of HIV, PTD and LBW contribute substantially to neonatal and infant mortality. HIV-exposed and -infected infants with these characteristics have received little...

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major cause of neonatal deaths in developing countries including Nepal. Its social determinants in Nepal have rarely been identified. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with low birth weight among under-five children comparing data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) of 2006 and 2011. Methods: Pooled data from the Nepal D...

BACKGROUND Low birth weight (LBW) is a major cause of neonatal deaths in developing countries including Nepal. Its social determinants in Nepal have rarely been identified. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with low birth weight among under-five children comparing data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) of 2006 and 2011. METHODS Pooled data from the Nepal D...

Introduction Intramuscular and vaginal progesterone are recommended for prevention of preterm labor (PTL) in women with risk factors. Studies are emerging to indicate that HIV-infected women on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) are at risk of PTL and low birth weight (LBW), and may benefit from supplemental progesterone. This study aims to determine the perceived acceptability of variou...