Introduction
Low birth weight is the weight at birth of less than 2500 grams (5.5 pounds) as defined by World Health Organization. (WHO).The normal weight of a baby is 5.5 pounds by 37 weeks of gestation.
The incidence of low birth weight in a population is defined as the percentage of live births that weigh less than 2,500 g out of the total of live births during the same time period.
The low birth weight incidence rate therefore is:
(Number of live born babies with birth weight less than 2,500 g / Number of live births) 100 %
Low birth weight is a significant factor that can be leaded to infant mortality, growth retardation and other chronic diseases.
Causes of low birth weight
Pre- term birth and fetal (intrauterine) growth restriction are considered as the major risk factors for causing low birth weight. If a baby is born before 37 weeks of gestation there will be a greater chance to have a low birth weight. The reason for this is that the baby has not enough time for growth. By having a low birth weight due to pre- term birth can increase the risk of mortality.
Fetal growth restriction is another risk factor that can affect the future health condition of the baby by causing growth retardation and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Fetal growth restriction is caused by various reasons. Body composition of mother at conception and the age of mother are among those reasons. Women with a short stature may get small babies. At the age between 45 and 55, women will experience the menopause. Menopause, changes the hormones that maintain the proper uterine environment for the baby. Therefore, it is said that the age between18-35 is better for having a healthy baby.
Twins have a lo...
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...out pregnancy.
• Breastfeed the baby. This is one of the best things that the mother can do to help the baby to grow up to be healthy.
• Make sure that the baby has all his/her growth and development checks.
• As the baby gets older, pay the attention on baby's weight gain, as rapid weight gain early on could lead to problems for the baby’s weight and health in adulthood.
• Have an adequate rest.
There are many positive steps you can take to improve your baby's chances of a healthy start as above.
As discussed in the essay, low birth weight is the weight at birth of less than 2500 grams (5.5 pounds).There are many causes and consequences of low birth weight. But best thing to do is to reduce the risk of having a low birth weight, and to gain a normal, healthy weight for the gestational age for babies by considering all the above causes and consequences.
Length of gestation (i.e., number of weeks in utero) and weight at birth are both related to birth risk. Demonstrate your awareness of key related concepts by discussing the concepts of prematurity, low birth weight, and extremely low birth weight.
Asfour, V, and S Bewley. 2011. Cord clamping practice could affect the ratio of placental weight to birth weight and perinatal outcomes. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 118 (12): 1539–40. Retrieved November 8, 2014
To determine trends in Birth weights, APGAR scores and NICU stay of the neonates born to PCOS mothers.
While a woman is generally safe from complications from gestational diabetes, there are some very big risks to the baby. If gestational diabetes goes undiagnosed, there is a greater risk of stillbirth. Other complications can include a condition called macrosomia, where the baby is born weighing 9 ¾ pounds or more. Excessively large babies can make delivery more difficult for both mother and child and as a result, birth injuries are more common in these babies. Other problems include hypoglycemia in the baby shortly after birth. The risk of gestational diabetes is higher in women who are over 30 years old, have a family history of diabetes, are obese, and those who have previously had a macrosomic baby.
If you are hoping for a modest birth (whatever that looks like for you), then there are some things to consider like -you might be
The rapid physical growth of an infant which we talked about earlier is fueled by the nutrients that the infant receives. Without the proper nutrition,infants cannot reach their physical, and cognitive potential. It is important to breast feed your baby until they turn one, but if that’s not an option bottle feeding is widely accepted as
have higher rates of low birth weighted need special care right after birth for times as
Pregnancy and the birth of a child throughout many cultures is viewed as a gift, either from God or from any other supernatural figure that they worship. If the pregnancy is terminated for any reason or there are complications it is also viewed in a large group of cultures as a punishment, or because you did not closely follow the rules or regulations of your culture. The process, emotional, and physical stress of bearing a child places mothers and family in a position of opportunity along with placing within them great responsibility. Mothers planning to bear children ideally need to be within the healthy weight range along with being well nourished, but this is not always the case. Many mothers to be are surprised when they realize or are
Rawlings, James S.; Rawlings, Virginia B.; Read, John A. "Prevalence of Low Birthweight and Preterm Delivery in Relation to the Interval between Pregnancies among White and Black Women." The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol 332, No 2, 1995, p 69-75.
The prenatal period is considered the period between the conception of a baby until its birth. During this time embryo's and fetus go through major changes to prepare for their life after birth. In the years after they are born, what we call infancy and toddlerhood, while as adults we don't seem to change much in a year or two, children go through many changes that are crucial in developing the patterns of their futures.
...side begins to grow and develop at six weeks the baby is only five eights of an inch in measurement. As the months go on the baby goes thru many changes as well as the mother and her body. The mother may tend to get ill at times or may be fine during her pregnancy. There are also reports that the father may become ill at times as well along with the mother, this is common in men.
that, in turn, could adversely affect the weight of very young children” (child Trends). Works cited Alaimo, K., Olson, C. M., Frongillo, E. A., & Briefel, R. R. (2001). Food insufficiency, family income, and health in U.S. preschool and school-aged children. American Journal of Public Health, 91(5), 781-786. Bronte-Tinkew, J., Zaslow, M., Capps, R., & Horowitz, A. (2007).
On the average, a newborn baby weighs 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) and is 53 cm (21 in) long, with the head disproportionately larger than the lower part of the body. As the child grows, increments in height are greatest from birth to three years; thereafter they are relatively constant until adolescence. The growth spurt at adolescence is far less than during infancy. Weight increments are also large during the first three years but are equally large during adolescence. Research shows that growth rates are influenced by the health of the child. Rates of development decelerate during illness; after an illness is cured, however, growth rates accelerate until children attain their appropriate height and weight.
During prenatal development, the mother's general health and age is very important. Nutrition, anxiety, and stress are a big part of the physical development during the prenatal stages. Referenced by Eysenck & Schoenthaler (1997) in our text, “A rapidly growing body of evidence reveals that when food sources are short on protein or essential vitamins and minerals during prenatal and early postnatal development, an infant’s physical, socio-emotional, and intellectual development can be compromised” (as cited by Broderick & Blewitt, 2010, p. 56).Genetic and chromosomal problems can begin at conception. Many disorders can be transmitted through the operation of dominant and recessive genes. Most recessive disorders are diagnosed in early childhood. Some genetic disorders include the following: sickle cell disease, hemophilia, night blindness, cystic fibrosis, extra fingers, high blood pressure, and huntington's disease. Chromosomal errors also effect the prenatal development stage. The most common is Down syndrome, in which a child has 3 copies of chromosome 21. The risk of bearing a child with this condition depends on the age of the mother.