Abstract

NASCIMENTO, Luiz Fernando Costa  and  GOTLIEB, Sabina Léa Davidson. Risk Factors for Low Birth Weight, Based on Information from Live Birth Certificates, in Guaratinguetá, SP, 1998. Inf. Epidemiol. Sus [online]. 2001, vol.10, n.3, pp.113-120. ISSN 0104-1673.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/S0104-16732001000300002.

The aim of this research was to detect associations between low birth weight and some variables that are present in the Live Birth Certificate of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. A cross-sectional study was performed using a set of 2,018 records of single live births which occurred during 1998, in Guaratinguetá, a midsize city of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Analyses included the calculation of prevalence ratios and χ² test to detect statistical associations. Confidence intervals for the prevalence ratios were constructed. Stratified analyses was performed to test for interaction and to control for confounding. Statistically significant associations (p<0.05) were detected between low birth weight and maternal age (less than 19 and greater than 35 years of age), low educational level, low number of pre-natal visits and presence of previous pregnancy with unfavorable outcomes (abortion or stillbirth). It was possible to conclude that the Live Birth Certificate is a useful and readily available instrument to evaluate maternal and newborn care. Suggestions are made to inckude fields in the form to collect data about maternal social and medical conditions

Keywords : Low Birth Weight; Risk Factors; Live Birth Certificate.

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