Fatores relacionados ao baixo peso ao nascer no Estado da Paraíba no período de 2003 a 2012.

Abstract

The low weight at birth is considered one of the most important health indicators, for allowing an assessment of the nutritional conditions of the newborn, influencing their growth and development, as well as contributing to neonatal morbidity and mortality rates and infant mortality. In this context, this research aims to: analyze the factors related to low birth weight among live births in the state of Paraíba between 2003 and 2012; identify the distribution of low birth weight among live births. This is a study which is retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive, with quantitative approach, using secondary data obtained through the Live Birth Information System (SINASC). The data was analyzed in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 software for preparation of tables containing the absolute value and percentage of the following variables: maternal; pregnancy; childbirth and newborn babies who were underweight. The study population consisted of 605.459 live births reported in the state of Paraíba in the period 2003 to 2012, and the sample consisted of 42.106 children born with low weight. The results show an instance of 6,95% of infants with low birth weight. There was a predominance of mothers aged 20 to 34 years (62,36%), unmarried (59,89%), with up to seven years of study (54,71%), with up to 6 prenatal visits performed ( 64,20%), gestational age up to 36 weeks (57,57%), single fetus pregnancy (86,51%) and vaginal delivery (54,62%). Male newborns prevailed (53,57%), with Apgar score index of the first (67,35%) and fifth (86,33%) minute to suffocation. Given the results, we observed the contribution of the current research as an incentive for further studies on the subject, the need for investment in health as well as the creation of new public policies, directed towards the prevention and consequently the reduction of the BPN.