Sajjad Rahman, Tariq Mahfooz, Khalid Mahmood.
An analytic study of prevalence, birth weight and gestational age specific mortality of AGA and SGA low birth weight babies in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar.
Pak Paed J Jan ;33(3):174-8.

Objective: To analyze and compare the prevalence, birth weight and gestational age specific mortality of AGA and SGA low birth weight babies in a secondary care neonatal unit of a teaching hospital. Design: An analytic retrospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Special Care Baby unit Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar from January 1, 1999 till December 31, 1999. Patients and Methods: All babies with a birth weight <2500g admitted into the neonatal unit during the study period were enrolled using a pre-designed performa. Data were analysed, collectively and group wise, for prevalence, weight specific and gestational age specific mortality among AGA and SGA groups. Data comparing the mortality patterns between the two groups was generated. Chi square test was used to calculate statistical significance. Results: With a total admission of 1786 babies during the study period, 727 were LBW; giving an overall LBW prevalence of 40.7% with 49.8% AGA and 50.2% SGA. Among SGA 69.9% were term SGA babies. The overall LBW mortality was 33% with 38% for AGA and 27.9% for SGA (p¡Ü0.05). The mortality declined, in both AGA and SGA groups, with increasing birth weight, increasing gestational age at birth (p¡Ü0.01) and advancing postnatal age. The Overall Early Neonatal death rate among hospitalised LBW babies was 20.22% with 23.48% for AGA and 16.98% for SGA babies. 61.6% of AGA and 60.8% of SGA mortality occurred during the first seven days of life. Conclusion: LBW constitute 41% of admissions in a teaching hospital neonatal unit. 50% of LBW are SGA. 70 % of SGA babies are potentially salvageable full term babies reflecting high prevalence of intrauterine growth restriction: an important consideration for Neonatal Perinatal Health care and health facility planning in Pakistan.

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