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September 5, 2025Open Access

Magnitude and correlates of very low birth weight newborns in India: insights from National Family Health Survey 2019-2021

Key Points

The occurrence of low birth weight babies is 17.4%, with very low birth weight newborns constituting 1.1%.
Key predictors for very low birth weight include maternal illiteracy, anemia, and lack of antenatal care.
Data analyzed is from the National Family Health Survey, focusing on 91,821 women with singleton pregnancies.
The findings underline the importance of enhancing antenatal care to address preventable risks of low birth weight.

Abstract

Background Estimate of very low birth weight (VLBW) and low birth weight (LBW) newborns is a key maternal and child health indicator. It is often associated with higher child mortality in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for 95% of the global LBW babies born annually. Objective This analysis aims to ascertain the occurrence and determinants of VLBW newborns in India. Material and Methods Data was taken from the 5th National Family Health Survey (2019-2021), which included 91,821 women aged 15-49 with a singleton pregnancy in last year, having recorded child birth weight. Information from 727 Indian districts was collected through cross-sectional design using census blocks/villages, for socio-demographic, antenatal, and reproductive variables from adult women in each household. Maternal socio-demographic, and reproductive factors were analyzed for association with VLBW birth using Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression using STATA 16 software. Results The occurrence rate of LBW babies has been 17.4% in present analysis, within which VLBW newborn constituted 1.1% – representing 6.3% of all LBW births. Key predictors for VLBW babies included maternal factors like illiteracy, anemia, underweight, prenatal tobacco use, lack of antenatal care, low economic status, high parity, female babies, and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. However, illiteracy, anemia, underweight, and prenatal tobacco use emerged as significant risks for occurrence VLBW births. Conclusions Most of the socio-demographic and prenatal maternal predictors for VLBW babies are amenable to reformation within existing social frame. This merits attention towards social application of preventive strategies comprehensively at grass-root level to modify the preventable risks of birth of LBW babies. There is nothing more self�explanatory and decisive than the role played by health-workers in improving antenatal care in urban slums and rural areas to reduce LBW/VLBW estimates in India.

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