Assessing maternal and paternal birth weight as a risk factor for delivering low birth weight infants

Low birth weight (LBW < 2500g) is a major determinant of neonatal mortality. LWB infants are not only at greater risk of death in the immediate newborn period, but also have a higher incidence of fetal distress, metabolic complications, in-hospital mortality, adverse neurologic sequelae, lower-respiratory-tract infections, rehospitalization, sepsis, and need for intubation. A case-control study was performed to determine if low birth weight men and women are at risk of having low birth weight offspring. Low birth weight (LBW) was defined as any infant weighing less than 2500 grams at the time of delivery. A comparison of all singleton deliveries with weights less than 2500 grams between the years 2000 and 2006, to all singleton deliveries with weights greater than 2500 grams, in Marion County, Indiana was undertaken. Using the Marion County, Vital Statistics Data Base, as well as original birth certificates, perinatal and demographic information was obtained on LBW infants and their parents.

The study found that women who were born weighing less than 2500 grams were at risk for delivering LBW infants (OR 3.39, CI 1.33-4.71, p < 0.0001), controlling for other known or suspect confounding factors. Furthermore, maternal birth weights less than 1500 grams at birth presented a greater risk than those with birth weights between 1501-2500 grams (OR 32.5, CI 1.33-4.71, p = 0.0019). Paternal birth weight was not a found to be significant risk factor. Women who were low birth weight are at risk of delivering low birth weight infants.