PREVALENCE OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT NEONATES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG NEONATES ADMITTED TO NEONATAOLOGY UNIT, AT HIWOT FANA SPECIALIZED UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: It is estimated that more than 22 million babies born worldwide annually are of low birth weight (< 2500 gm) of whom 95.6% are in the low resource countries and this trend has not changed in the last 10 years. Low birth weight babies account for 60–80% of all neonatal deaths. From observation of the principal investigator, low birth weight neonates are among commonly admitted newborns to Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, however the prevalence and associated factors are not studied previously. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of Low Birth Weight neonates admitted to Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, Harar, Ethiopia, from the Year 2018 to 2019. Data will be collected from December 20 to January 20, 2020. Methods: The study is conducted using a retrospective cross sectional study design from reviewed medical charts of neonates admitted in Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital neonatal ward on sample of 246 neonates admitted to the hospital. Samples were selected by systematic random sampling technique. The data was checked and edited for any incompleteness or inconsistency. Data entry and cleaning is done using Epi info and SPSS statistical software x version 20 is used for the analysis. To determine the association of the variables with low birth weight bivariate and multivariate logistic regression is done and result significant is considered at p< 0.25 and p< 0.05 respectively. Results: The prevalence of low birth weight is 35%. The associated factors to low birth weight is found to be maternal age less than 20 years AOR= 5.715(3.001- 10.884), living in rural area AOR= 2.346(1.150-4.787), gestational age preeclampsia AOR=2.801(1.158-6.777) and premature rupture of membrane AOR= 3.573(1.312-9.732) are associated factors to low birth weight.