The Effect of Maternal Anaemia on Infant Birth Weight: A Comprehensive Study

The objective of the present study was to understand about the maternal anaemia on the low birth weight of the neonates and also how it effects the maternal health.This study was conducted at the postnatal ward of the Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, during the period of December 2022 and July 2023.A total of 237 deliveries were analysed for this study.Maternal anaemia is divided in four categories based on the haemoglobin levels: no anaemia (>10 gm%), mild (8-10 gm%), moderate (7-8 gm%), severe (<7 gm%).Neonates were assessed for the birth weight and other perinatal factors.Statistical analysis for this study is done by using the chi-square and correlation coefficients.C Among the 236 antenatal women included, 49.2% were found to be anaemic.The average haemoglobin level was 10.05 2.27 g/dL, and the average birth weight was 3055.81 540.63 g.Of the infants, 8.1% were classified as LBW.A significant correlation was found between maternal anaemia and LBW: 37.9% of LBW infants were born to mothers with severe anaemia (p < 0.001).A statistically significant weak correlation (r = 0.305, p < 0.001) was observed between haemoglobin levels and neonatal weight.