| Summary. This cross-sectional study was carried out to capture possible
maternal factors affecting newborns’ anthropometric measurements. Data
were collected from eight public health centres and referral university hospital
records in Tabriz and Heriss districts, north-west Iran, for 807 mother–neonate
pairs delivering live singleton births and their offspring during the two years up
to August 2014. The incidence of low birth weight (LBW) was 5.1%. A close
correlation was found between maternal anthropometry and birth order with
neonatal anthropometric data. Birth order and maternal height and body mass
index (BMI) positively affected neonates’ birth size (weight, length and head
circumference). The rate of LBW was significantly higher for older (≥35 years),
taller (≥170 cm), underweight (BMI<18.5) and non-iron-taking women and in
the first-born babies. The odds of having LBW newborns in older, taller,
underweight, obese and irregular iron-taking women were 3.82, 4.00, 9.07, 3.50
and 2.50 times those of mid-age group, middle-height, overweight and regular
iron-taking women, respectively. First-born newborns were 5.97 times more
likely to be LBW compared with second-birth neonates. The results indicate
that maternal anthropometric indices, age, iron intake and birth order influence
the risk of LBW in newborns. |