Characterization of low birth weight. Pinar del Río Municipality

Abstract

Introduction: For the World Health Organization, the incidence of low birth weight is very useful to monitor the progress of nations, since it constitutes one of the most important causes of infant and perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Objective: To characterize low birth weight in the Municipality of Pinar del Río in the period from January to June 2023.

Methods: an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out. The universe was constituted by 42 mothers who had a newborn with low birth weight during the study period. Theoretical and empirical methods were used to review the obstetric records to obtain the data, and descriptive statistics were used in absolute and relative frequencies.

Results: 40.47% of low birth weight newborns were reported in the Hermanos Cruz polyclinic; the age group of mothers between 20 to 29 years old predominated with 42.8%, preterm delivery was considered as risks in 52.8%, followed by chronic arterial hypertension with 42.8% and Anemia in 35.7%; 54.7% of low birth weight newborns were male.

Conclusions: Low Birth Weight constitutes a health problem in the municipality of Pinar del Río, it requires a multidisciplinary and intersectoral strategy, managing to improve this indicator, so that the mother and her baby are healthy.