DISTRIBUTION AND DETERMINANTS OF LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT IN CENTRAL SUDAN

Two studies were conducted during 1989-90 in Central Sudan to determin e the incidence of low birthweight and to ascertain the major risk fac tors which influence birthweight. In a hospital-based investigation, s urveillance of all births was accompanied by a nested case-control stu dy, and in a community based investigation, all midwife-assisted birth s were studied. There were 4868 and 1523 livebirths among the hospital and community populations, respectively. The incidence of low birthwe ight was 18.1% in the community and 8.2% in the hospitals. The ratio o f term to pre-term low birthweight was 2.9 in the community but only 1 .3 in the hospitals. Several risk factors showed consistent and signif icant associations with low birthweight in the hospital and community studies. Two important and modifiable predictors of term and preterm l ow birthweight were low maternal weight and malaria infection during p regnancy. Other risk factors included low socio-economic status and, a mong the hospital population, lack of antenatal care, short birth inte rvals, poor obstetric history and complications of pregnancy.