Introduction L ow birth weight (LBW) is the dominating risk factorfor infant morbidity and mortality, (36% of all mortality in children <5 years of age), constituting about 4 million deaths per year. Some term and preterm small babies are healthy, with weight and length according to their genetic potential, while others are smaller due to factors impeding growth during fetal life. This phenomenon is called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and is the second leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, after prematurity.Low birth weight lower than that expected from the genetic potential might be caused by fetal, maternal or placental factors or a combination of risk factors, resulting in an impaired placental transport of nutrients or reduced growth potential of the fetus. Constitutional, gender and hereditary factors explain up to 40% of the variability of birth weight. Maternal age (<20 or >35 yrs), ethnicity, marital status, birth interval, educational level and socio-economic conditions are other explanatory factors. Common fetal factors are genetic and/or chromosomal aberrations. Medical risk factors for LBW before pregnancy are chronic conditions like hypertension, renal insufficiency, cardio-respiratory, autoimmune, endocrine or infectious disorders. The risk factors for LBW during pregnancy are hypertensive disorders, diabetes, malnutrition, bleeding, anemia, infection, placental or fetal anomalies and multiple pregnancies. The morbidities of term and moderately preterm (>32 weeks) LBW are mainly related to uteroplacental insufficiency and poor energy substrate transfer, resulting in neonatal complications like birth asphyxia, hypothermia, meconium aspiration, polycythaemia, hypoglycemia, hypocalcaemia and thrombocythaemia.LBW infants are forty times more likely to die within their first four weeks of life than normal birth weight infants. LBW infants are also three times more likely than normal birth weight infants to have neurodevelopmental complications and congenital abnormalities [1].The neonatal course in LBW infants born preterm (<32 weeks) is dominated by complications caused by anatomic and physiological immaturity e.g. birth asphyxia, hypothermia, respiratory distress due to delayed alveolar clearance of water and surfactant deficiency, delayed postnatal circulatory adaptation with pulmonary hypertension, systemic hypotension and delayed closure of fetal shunts. Immaturity and reduced substrate stores explain high prevalence of hypo/ hyperglycemia, jaundice and coagulopathy. Immature Maternal Factors for Low Birth Weight BabiesLt Col G Singh * , Capt R Chouhan + , Maj K Sidhu # Abstract Background: Low birth weight is defined as the live births with less than 2.5 kg weight. It is a key determinant of infant survival, health and development. Low birth weight infants are at a greater risk of having a disability and for diseases such as cerebral palsy, visual problems, learning disabilities and respiratory problems. To reduce the low birth weight deliveries, we studied the maternal fac...
Background: Though breast feeding is natural, during the first 2-3 days, when enough breast milk is not available with mother, she may introduce bottle feeding erroneously for improving nutrition to her baby. We studied the effect of antenatal expression of breast milk at term in reducing breast feeding failure as compared to conventional method of initiation of breast feeding. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in 180 booked cases at term. Daily expression of breast milk at least once a day after 37 weeks of pregnancy was introduced in randomly selected 90 pregnant ladies. Prior examination was done to exclude any inverted or cracked nipples and appropriate treatment instituted. Result: The study group who expressed breast milk daily after 37 weeks did not find it difficult to initiate breast feeding after vaginal or cesarean delivery. Sufficient milk started flowing within half an hour of initiation of breast feeding in most 85 (94.4%) subjects of study group as compared to 63 (70%) patients of control group, which was statistically significant.There was no increase in any delivery complication. There were two partial breast feeding failures in control group but none in study group. Conclusion: Daily antenatal breast milk expression after 37 completed weeks of pregnancy significantly reduced the time for establishing full breast feeding and reduced breast feeding failures.
Maternal blood irrespective of ABO compatibility might be a viable and potentially acceptable option for her new born baby in neonatal period. This may be especially important in developing world with limited blood bank resources.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.