"Causes and Consequences of Low Birth Weight" Low birth weight can be defined as a baby born weighing less than 2500 g . It is one of the adverse pregnancy outcomes in the world, affecting the survival, growth and development of the newborn. There are categories in low birth weight; very low birth weight, meaning a birth weight less than 1,500 g, and extremely low birth weight, meaning a birth weight less than 1,000 g. An estimated 18 million low birth weight babies are born worldwide every year, of which 9.3 million are in South Asia. The percentage of low birth weight in Sri Lanka is 16% and is high in developing countries. At that time, the low birth weight (LBW) rate for industrialized countries was 5%-7%. In England and Wales, the incidence of low birth weight increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 6.7% in 1990, while that of low birth weight increased from 0.78 in 1980 to 0.98%. in 1990 (and 1.2% in 1996 – Masuy-Stroobant and Gourbin, 1995, p. 73; Petrou, 2003, with reference to Macfarlane and Mugford, 2000; However, birth weight is an important factor in determining the survival of the child, future physical growth and mental development. Furthermore, maternal nutritional status mainly affects low birth weight. Source: unicef There are many causes that influence LBW, one of them is micronutrient deficiency of pregnant women. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are essential elements for the normal functioning and growth of the body. During pregnancy, nutritional needs increase during the development of the fetus and placenta and are also important for maternal growth. impact of micronutrient deficiency on pregnancy is associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality, miscarriage, low...... average level of homework...... in school. His learning ability is lower than that of others. LBW also has an increased risk of being overweight or obese in adulthood and can also impact diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, atherosclerosis, and heart disease that are long-term consequences of LBW. Furthermore, according to some research, even healthy young people with LBW show changes in glucose metabolism, such as increased whole-body and tissue-specific insulin resistance and reduced insulin secretion. Low birth weight babies may be born at or before term and present varying degrees of social and medical risk. Because low birth weight infants are not a homogeneous group, they exhibit a broad spectrum of growth, health, and developmental outcomes. Although the vast majority of low birth weight infants have normal outcomes, as a group they generally have higher rates of subnormal growth,
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