Reducing low birth weight: prioritizing action to address modifiable risk factors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Low birth weight (LBW) affects 6.9% of all UK births and has remained largely unchanged for many years. The United Nations and the World Health Assembly have set targets to substantially reduce global incidence. Understanding the contribution of modifiable risk factors to the burden of LBW is required to ensure appropriate interventions are in place to achieve this reduction.

Methods

Data from published studies on the risks from key modifiable factors were used alongside prevalence data from the Welsh population to calculate the population attributable risk for each factor individually and in combination.

Results

Fourteen risk factors accounted for nearly half of LBW births, and 60% of those to younger mothers (<25 years). Tobacco smoke exposure was the lar

SUBMITTER: Johnson CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5409066 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature