Give weight to this weight

Dr Monica Agarwal

When expecting a baby, both parents (and not just the mother) are usually worried and feel the need to be assured that their child will be born healthy, physically and mentally. While coping up with the roller-coaster emotional stress due to hormonal imbalance during pregnancy can be a big problem for many women, what many parents may not aware of, especially in smaller cities of India is that having a low-birth weight infant may require additional hospital care and further special care at home, both for the mother and child.

Pre-term birth and being too small for gestational age are the two major reasons for low-birth-weight (LBW). The LBW contributes to 60 per cent to 80 per cent of all neo-natal deaths, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). When the birth weight of a baby is less than 2.5 kg, it is said to be low-birth-weight; the normal birth weight of most full-term babies is between 2.5 to 3.5 kg.

There are various reasons why a baby can be born with low-birth weight. Pre-existing medical conditions in the mother or father like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, or having complications during previous pregnancy or post-partum bleeding only adds to the risk. Care should begin very early in pregnancy or even before of the mother to ensure good health of the foetus. 

Following are the few risk factors for having a low-birth weight baby:

• Pre-term birth (giving birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy). 
• Intra-uterine growth retardation (poor or abnormal growth of a foetus while inside mother’s womb).
• Multiple pregnancy (having twins or triplets).
• Smoking. 
• Alcohol and drug abuse.
• Poor nutrition. 
• Birth defects.
• Maternal infections like rubella, CMV, chicken pox.
• Hypertension and diabetes in mother. 
• Anomalies of the uterus. 

There are various complications of low-birth weight which the child can face throughout life. These may include hypothermia, vision problems, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and learning disorders, to name a few. 

Undoubtedly, low-birth weight babies often need additional care as they have poor resistance to fight infectious diseases, and their immune system is not well-developed. Parents need to be meticulous about hygiene and infection-prevention measures with such babies. As the lung capacity of such babies is not up to the mark, many low-birth-weight babies even find it difficult to suck breast milk.

However, parents must not panic, because with little precautions on the parents’ and doctor’s part, pre-natal and post-natal challenges can be tackled successfully, when it comes to low-birth weight. The survival rates of low-birth weight infants have improved significantly with more advanced neo-natal care technology. 

Here are a few things to be kept in mind and followed so as to prevent pre-mature birth or low-weight baby birth:

First and foremost is good pre-natal care. Care should start early to detect any medical problem like diabetes and hypertension. Any infection in the mother also needs treatment, ideally before the first semester of pregnancy begins. Any vaginal or urinary infection can lead to retardation of growth or pre-term delivery and hence need attention. 

Timely ultrasound is important to detect any birth defects in the foetus so that diagnosis is made and treated accordingly.

Parents should stop smoking, alcohol, drug abuse and any other bad lifestyle habits, especially the expecting mom. Positive lifestyle changes like eating on time, exercising, sleeping for proper duration and on time, proper fluid intake by the mother can help a lot in ensuring good health of newborn.

Expectant mothers should keep a check on weight, sugar and BP and monitor frequently and keep all vital statistics under control.

Under the guidance of a qualified doctor and dietician, mothers-to-be must eat right quantity and quality of food to ensure baby’s proper growth. Balanced diet with adequate amounts of all food groups like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and adequate fluid intake is needed. Don’t forget to take the recommended supplements.

Adequate rest in left lateral position gives good blood supply to the baby and helps in foetus growth.

Folic acid supplements have a proven role in preventing birth defects and hence should be started before conception when you plan pregnancy.

The writer is gynaecologist and obstetrician, Paras Bliss Hospital, Panchkula