Low birthweight

In the developing world, low birthweight stems primarily from the mother's poor health and nutrition. Three factors have most impacl: the mother's poor nutritional status before conceplion, short statııre (due mostly to undernutrition and infeetions during her childhood), and poor nutrition during the pregnaney. Inadequate weight gain during pregnaney is particularly important since it accounts for a large proportion of foetal growth retardation. Moreover, diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria, which are common in many developing countries, can significantly impair foetal growth if the mother becomes infected while pregnant.
According to the most recent estimates for 145 countries, approximately 14% - or 18 million — newborns each year are low birthweight. The majority of these babies are born in developing countries. South Asia has by far the highest levels, with one out of every four babies born with with low birthweight. More than half of ali low birthweight infants in the world are born in South Asia. Low birthweight is also relatively common in Sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Middle East and North Africa, at least 12% and 11%. By contrast, the percentage of low birthweight in the industrialized countries in only 7%.
Weight at birth refleets the intrauterine experience: it is a good indicator not only of a mother's health and nutıitianal status but also the newborns' chances for survival, growth, long-term health and psyehosocial development.