IMPACT of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors of pregnant women on the BIRTH weight in underdeveloped regions

Background: Low SES and unhealthy lifestyles increase the risk of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) babies. However, less is known about how these factors affect non PTB/LBW newborns' birthweight. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Hungaryof 11,207 babies weighing 2,499grams+ to assess the effect of SES and lifestyle factors on newborns' birth weight. Linear regression modeling was used to assess factors that contributed to changes in birth weight (p ≤.05). Results:The mean weight of all babies was 3,312 grams (median=3,300). The only factor associated with a higher birth weight was being married versus all other forms of cohabitation (+30.7 gram, 95%CI 60.1-1.4). Factors that lowered birth weight were living in overcrowded houses (-34.6 gram, 95%CI 1.8-67.3), experiencing deep poverty (-60.0 gram, 95%CI 23.1-90.8), having 8 years of school or less (105.4 gram, 95%CI 68.8-141.9), the mother being under a normal BMI (-120.1 gram 95%CI 82.9-157.3) and continuing tobacco smoking during the pregnancy (-150.1 95%CI 116.2-184.1). Dietary factors were unrelated to birth-weight.The SES and lifestyle factors in the multivariable model accounted for 39% of the total variance. Conclusions: Changing living standards is important for ensuring the healthiest outcomes for newborn babies, even for those who are not low birth weight or preterm. Moreover, high-quality and intensive tobacco cessation campaigns could be a cost-effective and efficient way to improve obstetrical outcomes.Thus, tailoring cessation programs for pregnant women should be a high priority pre-eminently in the underdeveloped regions.