J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2026 Dec;39(1):2648184. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2026.2648184. Epub 2026 Mar 29.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the major causes of neonatal mortality and an important factor influencing the growth and development of newborns. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of LBW and its related maternal and neonatal factors.
METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The research subjects were 89,214 pregnant women who gave birth at Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Longgang District, Shenzhen City from 2015 to 2021. Factors associated with LBW encompassed demographic characteristics, antenatal and obstetric factors, and neonatal states. R software was used for statistical analyses, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the significantly related factors of LBW.
RESULTS: The prevalence of LBW in this study was 3.88%. Education level (Junior college and below vs. College and above, OR: 1.18, 95%CI 1.09-1.29), parity (Nulliparous vs. Parous, OR: 1.37, 95%CI 1.20-1.56), pre-pregnancy BMI (Underweight vs. Normal, OR: 1.62, 95%CI 1.47-1.78), mode of delivery (Cesarean section vs. Vaginal delivery, OR: 1.70, 95%CI 1.56-1.86), congenital malformation (Yes vs. No, OR: 2.79, 95%CI 2.40-3.25), sex of neonate (Female vs. Male, OR: 1.70, 95%CI 1.56-1.85), Apgar 1 min score (<7 vs. ≥7, OR: 4.57, 95%CI 2.73-7.58), number of antenatal care visits (<8 vs. ≥8, OR: 1.97, 95%CI 1.80-2.15), gestational age (<37 weeks vs. ≥37 weeks, OR: 48.80, 95%CI 44.65-53.36), pregnancy complications (Yes vs. No, OR: 1.69, 95%CI 1.52-1.88) were identified as risk factors for LBW. Number of pregnancies (2 vs. 1, OR: 0.82, 95%CI 0.72-0.94; ≥3 vs. 1, OR: 0.75, 95%CI 0.64-0.87) was considered as a protective factor. Premature birth, pregnancy complications, and insufficient antenatal care visits had synergistic effects on LBW.
CONCLUSIONS: LBW was correlated with specific maternal and neonatal factors, and there were interactions between the influencing factors. Compared with a single intervention, comprehensively assessing pregnancy risks to develop personalized antenatal care may be more effective.
PMID:41905931 | DOI:10.1080/14767058.2026.2648184
