Nutritional Interventions for Underweight Pregnant Mothers in Northern Ghana: Feeding Practices and Birth Outcomes

Underweight pregnant mothers in Northern Ghana are at risk of adverse birth outcomes due to inadequate nutrition. A mixed-methods approach combining anthropometric measurements with qualitative interviews was employed to assess maternal feeding practices and neonatal birth weights in a sample of 150 underweight pregnant women in Northern Ghana. Maternal undernutrition was significantly associated with lower birth weight, with an average newborn weight of 2. 7 kg compared to the national average of 3. 3 kg (95% CI: -0. 6 to -0. 1). Nutritional interventions are essential for improving feeding practices and reducing underweight births in Northern Ghana. Healthcare providers should prioritise nutritional education and support for underweight pregnant mothers, with a focus on increasing breast milk intake and dietary diversification. Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.