Low birth weight (LBW) is body weight less born from 2.5 kg. Babies born with LBW will look smaller and thin, and have visible head size bigger.
LBW can occur when a baby is born prematurely or has developmental problems while in the womb. In 2018, there were around 6.2 percent of babies in Indonesia who were born with low birth weight.
Babies with low birth weight are more susceptible to illness or infection. In the long term, children born with low body weight are also at risk for delayed motor development or learning difficulties.
Causes of Low Birth Weight
Many conditions cause babies to be born with low birth weight. The main cause and the most common is premature birth, ie delivery that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation.
Baby growth generally increases rapidly in the last weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, babies born early do not have enough time to grow and develop so they tend to have a lower body weight and small stature.
In addition, low birth weight is also often the result of iintrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which is a condition when the baby does not grow properly while in the womb. This problem can be triggered by disorders of the placenta, health conditions of the mother, or health conditions of the baby.
Risk factors for low birth weight
There are several factors in pregnant women that can increase the risk of having a baby born with low weight, namely:
- Giving birth to a baby with low birth weight in a previous pregnancy
- Suffering from infection during pregnancy
- Experiencing pregnancy complications, especially those that can cause disruption of the placenta
- Containing twins so that there is not enough space in the womb for each fetus
- Less than 15 years old or more than 35 years old
- Experiencing malnutrition
- Smoking or living in an environment with a lot of cigarette smoke
- Using drugs or consuming alcoholic beverages
- Experiencing emotional problems, such as depression and anxiety disorders
In addition, certain infections or congenital conditions in the fetus can also increase the risk of babies being born with low birth weight.
Symptoms of Low Birth Weight
The normal weight of a baby at birth is about 2.5–4.5 kilograms. Babies are declared LBW if their birth weight is less than 2.5 kilograms. Meanwhile, babies born weighing less than 1.5 kilograms were declared to have very low birth weight.
In addition to having a lower birth weight than normal babies, LBW babies will also look very small and thinner because they have less body fat. In addition, the baby's head will also look disproportionate because it is bigger than the body.
When to go to the doctor
Babies with low birth weight require intensive supervision and care. If the baby is not delivered in a hospital, seek immediate referral to a pediatrician at a hospital, especially one with NICU facilities.
Low Birth Weight Diagnosis
Low birth weight is diagnosed by weighing the baby shortly after birth. However, the baby's weight at birth can actually be estimated by a gynecologist from the time of pregnancy.
During a routine pregnancy checkup, the doctor will observe the development of the size and weight of the fetus in the womb and then compare it with gestational age. A simple way to do this is to observe the increase in weight and size of the uterus as the pregnancy progresses.
In addition, the doctor can also perform a pregnancy ultrasound to see the growth and development of the baby in the womb and take pictures of the head, abdomen and upper limb bones to estimate the baby's weight.
Pengobatan Low birth weight
Almost all LBW babies require hospitalization. The treatment given will be adjusted to the symptoms, severity of the condition, gestational age, and the baby's overall health condition.
Low birth weight babies with complications, such as immature lungs or bowel problems, need to be treated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In this room, the baby will be placed in a bed with a temperature that has been adjusted. The baby's nutritional intake will also be regulated in such a way per day.
LBW babies are only allowed to go home from the hospital if their weight has reached the target or after complications can be overcome and the mother can breastfeed normally.
For mothers with low birth weight babies, doctors will recommend breastfeeding. This is because breast milk can support the growth, endurance, and weight gain of babies. If the mother cannot give breast milk, the baby can be given breast milk from a donor.
LBW babies can catch up with their growth over time. However, to ensure that their development goes well, LBW babies need to undergo regular check-ups to the doctor on a regular basis after returning from the hospital.
Complications of Low Birth Weight
LBW babies can experience postnatal complications, especially if the baby is born prematurely. The lower the baby's birth weight, the higher the risk of complications. Complications that can arise due to low birth weight (LBW) include:
- Low oxygen levels at birth
- Difficulty maintaining body temperature to stay warm at normal temperatures
- Infection
- Impaired development of the lungs or other organs
- Breathing problems, such as infant respiratory distress syndrome
- Disorders of the nervous system, such as bleeding in the brain
- Intestinal problems, such as necrotizing enterocolitis
- Low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia)
- Too many red blood cells that make the blood too thick (polycythemia)
- Sudden death or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Some LBW babies can also experience developmental delays, blindness, deafness, and cerebral palsy. In adulthood, most LBW babies are more at risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.
Prevention of Low Birth Weight
As described above, the main cause of low birth weight (LBW) is premature birth. Therefore, the best way to prevent LBW is to avoid premature birth.
Prevention can be done by undergoing regular pregnancy checks to the obstetrician. In addition, also do the following things to maintain the health condition of the mother and fetus during pregnancy:
- Consuming healthy food so that nutrition for mother and fetus is always fulfilled
- Do not consume alcoholic beverages, smoke, or use drugs
- Keeping intimate organs clean during pregnancy
- Manage stress well