Prevalence of low birth weight and its association with maternal body weight status in selected countries in Africa: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW), and to investigate the association between maternal body weight measured in terms of body mass index (BMI) and birth weight in selected countries in Africa. SETTING: Urban and rural household in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda. PARTICIPANTS: Mothers (n=11 418) aged between 15 and 49 years with a history of childbirth in the last 5 years. RESULTS: The prevalence of LBW in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda was, respectively, 13.4%, 10.2%, 12.1%, 15.7% and 10%. Compared with women who are of normal weight, underweight mothers had a higher likelihood of giving birth to LBW babies in all countries except Ghana. However, the association between maternal BMI and birth weight was found to be statistically significant for Senegal only (OR=1.961 (95% CI 1.259 to 3.055)). CONCLUSION: Underweight mothers in Senegal share a greater risk of having LBW babies compared with their normal-weight counterparts. Programmes targeting to address infant mortality should focus on promoting nutritional status among women of childbearing age. Longitudinal studies are required to better elucidate the causal nature of the relationship between maternal underweight and LBW.