Courtney Tiatia

Biology 1615 Lab

Anthropometric determinants of low birth weight in newborns of Hoshiarpur

district (Punjab) - A hospital based study

Introduction
This study was performed by scientists to better understand how to calculate accurate low
birth weight in developing countries by way of surrogate anthropometric measurement. They are
trying to make a process of what measurements determine low birth weight. This study was
specifically performed in India which is where 1/3 of low birth rates occur (Kaur, 2012). The
importance of this subject is to better understand how to calculate accurate low birth rate because
low birth rate is related to the health of a neonate and tells you information about the community.
The researchers chose this subject because having a low birth rate when born is contributing to
health problems later in life and neonate mortality. The scientists are collecting research on how
to accurately determine a neonate is born with a low birth rate. They are coming up with a
process to determine low birth rate to be used in India specifically since it is the highest low birth
rate country.
This topic is of value because Indian babies are 1/3 of low birth rate babies and we need to
accurately diagnose them in order to prevent infant mortality and adult health problems later in
life. This information is extremely helpful to the hospitals in India specifically but is also reliable
information about the subject of low birth rate and the importance of diagnosing it early as a sort
of prevention of devastating developments later. The researchers were trying to prove what the
cutoff measurements are for low birth rate babies so that we as a world are better informed and
suited to diagnose low birth rates in neonates. Kaur says himself, LBW is considered to be an

important factor compromise healthy survival of infants. The importance of finding more
information on LBW (low birth weight) is extremely important to help keep the human race alive
and well.

Materials and Methods

They contacted women in India Hoshiarpur district that were in their 3rd trimester to join
in the study and ruled out neonates with amoralities and women with bad health out of the study
and ended up with 504 participants. They measured the neonates at 48 hours of age. They used
many instruments to measure the newborns. Height was measured using an infantometer, weight
with digital weighing scale, Harpender skinfold caliper was used to measure skinfold thickness
and an inelastic tape to measure circumference measurements of the newborn.

Results
The results showed that 20.23 percent of the total babies measured were of low birth
rates. Among the low birth weights 56.86 percent were males and 43.14 percent were female.
The researchers found that the percent of low birth weight in the present study population was
20.24 which is lower than UNICEF declared it was in 2004. They stated this could be because
UNICEF didnt rule out births before 37 weeks in the study they are stating for their numbers.
Discussion
The results mean that there are numerous amounts of newborns that are born with a low
birth rate and need to have accurate measurements in order for them to survive mortality. Health

care workers need to be educated and informed of the cutoff declaring a low birth rate newborn
and also need to be educated on the types of measurements that are best suited to determine the
diagnosis. There are too many newborns at risk by low birth rates.
They were able to gather accurate amounts of information to show that India does have a
higher rate of low birth rate and that the cutoff needed to be accurate in order to prevent neonatal
complications and adult complications later in life. The limitations of the study were the fact that
they were only in one country and in only one section of that one country. This study would be
more accurate if they were able to cross this research with other countries including other
developing countries and developed countries to determine if there would be a different in the
measurements of low birth rates in the different countries and if we could make a world wide
determination of the accurate calculations needed to diagnosis low birth weight.

Works Cited
Kaur, Hardeep. "Anthropometric Determinants of Low Birth Weight in Newborns of Hoshiarpur
District (Punjab) - A Hospital Based Study." Department of Human Biology, Punjabi University,
Patiala (2012). Web.
<http://biology1615.weebly.com/uploads/5/5/4/8/5548644/determinants_of_low_birth_weight.pd
f>.