Resumen

NASCIMENTO, Luiz Fernando Costa  y  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

Palabras clave : Low Birth Weight; Risk Factors; Live Birth Certificate.

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