Epidemiology of low birth weight in an industrial area in India.

In an industrial hospital in India, a 23 per cent prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) was detected, of which 76 per cent were full term small for date (SFD) babies. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) comprised the single most common obstetrical problem associated with term SFD births (31 per cent). Age, parity, booking and socio-economic status were all found to contribute to LBW. Babies weighing between 2.25 and 2.5 kg did not show any significant difference in mortality and morbidity as compared to babies weighing more than 2.5 kg at birth. Despite the lower prevalence of LBW found in this study conducted in a fairly literate urban population, an attempt can be made to further decrease this figure.