Characterization of mothers with low birth weight children in “Romárico Oro Peña” Polyclinic, Puerto Padre

Abstract

Background: low birth weight is the main cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.

Objective: to characterize mothers with low birth weight children, belonging to "Romárico Oro Peña" Teaching Polyclinic, Puerto Padre, from January 2020 to December 2021.

Methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in mothers with low birth weight children, from the health area and period indicated above. The population was 36 mothers. Data were obtained from medical records. The study included the variables age group, pregnancy-related diseases, comorbidities, nutritional evaluation, maternal weight gain, obstetric history, other risk factors and classification of low weight. The data were processed through descriptive statistics.

Results: the maternal age group with the highest incidence of underweight children was under 20 years of age (52.8 %). Premature rupture of the membrane with 25 %, was the most frequent disease of pregnancy and vaginal infection (72.2 %) the comorbidity. A 77.8 % of mothers presented an inadequate nutritional assessment, predominating those who presented deficient weight (44.4 %). Nulliparous women (47.2 %), as well as those that presented a short intergenesic period (63.9 %), were the ones that contributed the most to low birth weight. The prevalence of low weight was due to preterm birth.

Conclusions: mothers with low birth weight children were characterized in the health area of the "Romárico Oro" Polyclinic during the period 2020 - 2021.