[Birth weight in Brazilian children under two years of age]

Social vulnerability among Brazilian children in early childhood: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To identify, map, and describe studies involving Brazilian children in early childhood in situations of social vulnerability.

SOURCE OF DATA

A scoping review including full articles published in Portuguese and English up to March 2023, with no temporal restrictions. Searches were conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Scielo, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, PEDro, and LILACS databases. Journal metrics, sample characteristics, study area, characterization of the situation of social vulnerability, and study outcomes were extracted.

SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS

Seventy-six articles involving a total of 107.740 children in early childhood were included in this study. These studies presented relevant findings, including the temporal publication trend, the variability of social vulnerability indicators, the scarcity of intervention studies, and the fact that 100% of eligible studies were from the health area. Negative outcomes were associated with the condition of social vulnerability in almost the entire sample, reinforcing the need for government policies capable of protecting early childhood from the effects of social vulnerability.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review mapped important findings involving Brazilian children in social vulnerability. It also identified literature gaps such as the need for intervention and multisectoral studies among health, education, and social protection.

Impact of unplanned pregnancy on neonatal outcomes: findings of new high-risk newborns in Peru

BACKGROUND

Unplanned pregnancy is a significant public health problem, especially in low- to middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to determine the neonatal outcomes associated with unplanned pregnancy in a public hospital in southern Peru.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from June to August 2021 among 306 mothers and their newborns selected by convenience sampling. After obtaining informed consent, mothers were surveyed during their postpartum hospitalization about their pregnancy intentions. Unintended pregnancy was considered when it was mistimed or unwanted. Neonatal outcomes were assessed by reviewing medical records prior to discharge, evaluating the presence of low birth weight, insufficient birth weight, prematurity, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and neonatal mortality. Association was measured in terms of prevalence ratio (PR) and beta coefficient and respective 95% CIs, crude and adjusted for variables that obtained a value of p<0.20 in the crude model (maternal age, education and parity).

RESULTS

The overall unplanned pregnancies rate was 65%, of which 40.5% were mistimed pregnancies and 24.5% unwanted pregnancies. Unplanned and mistimed pregnancies were significantly associated with insufficient birth weight [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR)=2.14; 95% CI 1.01 to 4.56 and aPR=2.43; 95% CI 1.09 to 5.39, respectively] and unwanted pregnancies were significantly associated with preterm birth (aPR=3.49; 95% CI 1.01 to 12.11). Furthermore, adjusted analysis showed that birth weight and gestational age were lower in unplanned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies.

CONCLUSIONS

Unplanned pregnancy was associated with lower birth weight and shorter gestational age of newborns. These data collected in a public hospital in a developing country may have significant implications today. If pregnancy intention is not included as a neonatal risk factor, insufficient birth weight and preterm birth could increase because a higher proportion of births will be unplanned.

[Weight/head circumference ratio at birth for assessing fetal growth]

The scope of this article was to use the weight/head circumference ratio at birth to assess fetal growth. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a birth cohort in the State of Paraíba, Northeast of Brazil, with 726 children born at term and weighing 2,500 grams or more. The anthropometric measurements, sociodemographic characteristics, gestational care and type of delivery were collected in the first 24 hours after birth of infants were assessed. Infants were classified as proportionate (weight/head circumference ratio ≥0.87) versus disproportionate (<0.87). Lower mean weight/head circumference ratio was identified in newborns of lower gestational age, with lower birth weight, female, from families not benefiting from the Bolsa Família Program, of mothers who did not take folic acid during pregnancy and were born by cesarean section. Mean weight, length, and head circumference were lower among infants with disproportionate weight/head circumference ratio, independently of sex. Weight/head circumference ratio is an important indicator of fetal growth.

Baixo peso ao nascer, prematuridade e restrição de crescimento intra-uterino: resultados dos dados de base da primeira coorte de nascimentos indígenas no Brasil (coorte de nascimentos Guarani)

ABSTRATO

FUNDO: O baixo peso ao nascer (BPN) continua sendo um importante problema de saúde global, associado a uma série de resultados adversos de saúde ao longo da vida. As evidências sugerem que o BPN é um determinante relevante de morbidade e mortalidade em grupos indígenas, que geralmente têm acesso limitado às políticas públicas de saúde e nutrição. O conhecimento da prevalência de BPN e de suas causas subjacentes pode contribuir com etapas essenciais para a prevenção de seus efeitos sobre a saúde. O estudo teve como objetivo estimar as prevalências de BPN, prematuridade e restrição de crescimento intra-uterino (RCIU) e investigar seus determinantes na primeira coorte de nascimentos indígenas no Brasil. MéTODOS: Este estudo transversal utilizou dados de linha de base coletados da primeira coorte de nascimentos indígenas no Brasil, a Coorte de Nascimentos Guarani. O Brasil é um dos países com maior diversidade étnica do mundo, com 305 povos indígenas e 274 línguas nativas. Os Guarani são uma das cinco maiores etnias, com aldeias localizadas principalmente na região sul. Todos os nascimentos únicos de 1º de junho de 2014 a 31 de maio de 2016 foram selecionados em 63 aldeias indígenas Guarani nas regiões Sul e Sudeste. Foi realizada regressão logística múltipla hierárquica.

RESULTADOS

As taxas de prevalência de BPN, prematuridade e RCIU foram 15,5, 15,6 e 5,7%, respectivamente. As chances de BPN foram menores em recém-nascidos de mães que vivem em casas de tijolo e argamassa (OR: 0,25; IC 95%: 0,07-0,84) e foram maiores em filhos de mães ≤20 anos de idade (OR: 2,4; IC 95%: 1,29-4,44) e com anemia crônica antes da gravidez (OR: 6,41; IC 95%: 1,70-24,16). A prematuridade foi estatisticamente associada ao tipo de fonte de energia para cozinhar (fogão a lenha - OR: 3,87; IC 95%: 1,71-8,78 e fogueiras - OR: 2,57; IC 95%: 1,31-5,01). RCIU foi associado à primiparidade (OR: 4,66; IC 95%: 1,68-12,95) e anemia materna crônica antes da gravidez (OR: 7,21; IC 95%: 1,29-40,38). CONCLUSõES: Idade materna, estado nutricional e paridade, condições de moradia e exposição à poluição interna foram associados com resultados perinatais na população indígena Guarani. Esses resultados indicam a necessidade de investir no acesso e melhoria da assistência pré-natal; também no fortalecimento do Subsistema de Saúde Indígena, e em ações intersetoriais para o desenvolvimento de políticas habitacionais e de saneamento e melhorias ambientais ajustadas às necessidades e conhecimentos dos povos indígenas.

Comparison of adequacy of birth weight for gestational age according to different intrauterine growth curves

Abstract Objectives: to compare the assessment of the adequacy of birth weight for gestational age according to different intrauterine growth curves. Methods: across-sectional study, which analyzed gestational and neonatal information from 344 mother-newborn binomials. Birth weight data were analyzed using the International Fetal and New Born Growth Consortium for the 21st Century (INTERGROWTH-21st) and compared with the growth curves proposed by Alexander et al. and Fenton & Kim. Newborns were classified as small for gestational age (SGA), suitablefor gestational age (SUGA) or large for gestational age (LGA). Results: among the newborns, 51.2% were male, and 93.0% were born at term. Higher prevalence of SUGA and LGA and lower SGA was found by the INTERGROWTH-21st curves when compared to the references of Fenton & Kim and Alexander et al. Moderate agreement was observed in detecting birth weight by different growth curves. Conclusions: there was a lower detection of SGA infants and a higher screening, especially of LGA infants, in the INTERGROWTH-21st evaluation, when compared to the growth curves of Fenton & Kim and Alexander et al.

Maternal anemia and birth weight: A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between maternal anemia and low/insufficient birth weight.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study of pregnant women who underwent prenatal care at the healthcare units in a municipality of northeast Brazil together with their newborn infants was carried out. The pregnant women were classified as having anemia when the hemoglobin level was below 11 g/dl. Infants who were born full term weighing less than 2500 grams were classified as low birth weight, and those weighing between 2500 and 2999 grams were classified as insufficient weight. The occurrence of maternal anemia and its association with birth weight was verified using crude and adjusted Relative Risk (RR) estimates with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs).

RESULTS

The final sample was comprised of 622 women. Maternal anemia was considered a risk factor for low/insufficient birth weight, after adjusting the effect measurement for maternal age, family income, urinary infection, parity, alcoholic beverage consumption during pregnancy and gestational body mass index: RRadjusted = 1.38 [95% CI: 1.07 to 1.77].

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal anemia was associated with low/insufficient birth weight, representing a risk factor for the gestational outcomes studied.

Low birth weight and its associated factors

OBJECTIVE

To calculate the frequency and evaluate the factors associated with low birth weight.

METHODS

A retrospective study, with data from pregnant women who participated in the Programa de Atenção às Gestantes do Programa Einstein na Comunidade de Paraisópolis, between 2011 and 2014, and who returned for the postpartum evaluation of their newborns. Variables related to the pregnant woman, pregnancy, and newborn were evaluated. The outcome variable was low birth weight, defined as <2.5kg. The associations between the independent variables and low birth weight were assessed by χ2 and Mann-Whitney tests. Logistic regression models analyzed the combined effects of the independent variables on low birth weight.

RESULTS

Data of 794 pregnant women and their newborns (52.1% males) were analyzed. The age of pregnant women varied from 13 to 44 years (median of 24 years), and the majority reported being married or living in cohabitation (74.7%), and having between 9 to 11 years of schooling (53.4%). The proportion of low birth weight was 7.6% (newborn mean weight of 3.2kg) and, in multivariate analysis, presence of twinning, age group of the pregnant women (showing protection for low birth weight between ages ≥18 years and <35 years), and cesarean section were associated with low birth weight.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of low birth weight was 7.6% and twining, age of the pregnant woman, and cesarean delivery were associated with the occurrence of low birth weight.

Birth weight and its association with blood pressure and nutritional status in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The management of children with low birth weight is not the same in countries with different resources. The authors assessed the association of birth weight with blood pressure and nutritional status in a representative sample of adolescents from a Brazilian state, aiming to identify possible consequences of these differences.

METHODS

A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted with adolescents (12-18 years) enrolled in public and private schools. Birth weight, office blood pressure, home blood pressure measurements, and nutritional status (body mass index, height z-score for the age, and waist circumference) were assessed. The association of birth weight with the outcomes (blood pressure, height, body mass index, and waist circumference) was studied through univariate and multivariable linear regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 829 adolescents with a mean age of 14.6±1.62 years were included; 43.3% were male, and 37.0% from private schools. The prevalence of low birth weight was 8.7%. Mild low height prevalence was higher among those adolescents with low/insufficient birth weight when compared to those with normal/high birth weight (11.7 vs. 4.2%; p<0.001). In the multiple linear regression analysis, for each increase of 100g in birth weight, height increased by 0.28cm (95% CI: 0.18-0.37; p<0.01). Birth weight did not influence office blood pressure and home blood pressure, body mass index, or waist circumference of adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Birth weight was directly associated to height, but not associated to blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference in adolescents from an urban area of a developing country.

Family health strategy and equity in prenatal care: a population based cross-sectional study in Minas Gerais, Brazil

BACKGROUND

Prenatal care coverage is still not universal or adequately provided in many low and middle income countries. One of the main barriers regards the presence of socioeconomic inequalities in prenatal care utilization. In Brazil, prenatal care is supplied for the entire population at the community level as part of the Family Health Strategy (FHS), which is the main source of primary care provided by the public health system. Brazil has some of the greatest income inequalities in the world, and little research has been conducted to investigate prenatal care utilization of FHS across socioeconomic groups. This paper addresses this gap investigating the socioeconomic and regional differences in the utilization of prenatal care supplied by the FHS in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

METHODS

Data comes from a probabilistic household survey carried out in 2012 representative of the population living in urban areas in the state of Minas Gerais. The sample size comprises 1,420 women aged between 13 and 45 years old who had completed a pregnancy with a live born in the last five years prior to the survey. The outcome variables are received prenatal care, number of antenatal visits, late prenatal care, antenatal tests, tetanus immunization and low birthweight. A descriptive analysis and logistic models were estimated for the outcome variables.

RESULTS

The coverage of prenatal care is almost universal in catchment urban areas of FHT of Minas Gerais state including both antenatal visits and diagnostic procedures. Due to this high level of coverage, socioeconomic inequalities were not observed. FHS supplied care for around 80% of the women without private insurance and 90% for women belonging to lower socioeconomic classes. Women belonging to lower socioeconomic classes were at least five times more likely to receive antenatal visits and any of the antenatal tests by the FHS compared to those belonging to the highest classes. Moreover, FHS was effective in reducing low birthweight. Women who had prenatal care through FHS were 40% less likely to have a child with low birthweight.

CONCLUSION

This paper presents strong evidence that FHS promotes equity in antenatal care in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Physical intimate partner violence and low birth weight in newborns from primary health care units of the city of Rio de Janeiro

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the association between physical intimate partner violence and low birth weight. Methods This cross-sectional study included 604 children with approximately 30 days of age who visited four primary health care units in the city of Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, for the second dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Children with a birth weight below 2.500 g were considered underweight. Information regarding physical intimate partner violence was obtained by the Portuguese version of the Conflict Tactics Scale. The study investigated the 12 months prior to interview. Physical intimate partner violence was analyzed as a dichotomous variable and cumulatively. Associations between physical intimate partner violence and low birth weight were verified by logistic regression models based on crude and adjusted odds ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals. Results Some (7.1%) babies were born underweight, and 33.6% of the mothers had been exposed to physical intimate partner violence. Physical intimate partner violence was significantly associated with low birth weight (OR=3.69; 95%CI=1.57-8.66). Notably, the odds of low birth weight increase with the severity of violence. Conclusion These findings draw attention to the consequences of physical intimate partner violence on the nutritional status of newborns and emphasize the need of greater attention during prenatal care to improve women's quality of life and to reduce the rate of low birth weight.

Poluentes atmosféricos associados ao peso insuficiente ao nascimento

RESUMO: Introdução: Um número crescente de estudos tem mostrado evidências consistentes dos efeitos nocivos da poluição do ar na saúde humana e afetando também o peso do recém-nascido. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar o efeito da poluição do ar sobre o peso ao nascer, mais especificamente o peso insuficiente ao nascer (entre 2.500 e 2.999 g). Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal com dados relativos a todos os nascidos de mães residentes no Município de São José dos Campos, São Paulo, nos anos de 2006 a 2010. Para examinar a associação entre exposição materna à poluição do ar e o peso ao nascer foi utilizada a regressão logística (univariada e múltipla), considerando-se a média da concentração de cada poluente do 1º e 3º trimestres e dos meses do 1º trimestre. Resultados: Do total de 39.453 nascidos vivos do período estudado, 10.542 (26,7%) recém-nascidos apresentaram peso insuficiente. Na análise logística múltipla, a exposição materna ao material particulado no 1º e 3º trimestre de gestação apresentou maior chance para o nascimento de uma criança com peso insuficiente. Há uma chance de 1,07 (IC95% 1,00 - 1,14) de ocorrência de peso insuficiente para exposição (ao 2o quartil) ao material particulado no 1º trimestre e de 1,10 (IC95% 1,04 - 1,18) para exposição (ao 3o quartil) no 3º trimestre. Conclusão: Os resultados da pesquisa indicam que a exposição materna no 1º e 3º trimestres de gestação à poluição do ar no município de São José dos Campos pode determinar o peso insuficiente de recém-nascidos.

Neonatal mortality in infants with low birth weigh

Objective To evaluate the factors associated with neonatal mortality in infant born with low birth weight. Method Cross-sectional study that analyzed data from 771 live births with low birth weight (<2500 g) in the city of Cuiabá, MT, in 2010, of whom 54 died in the neonatal period. We obtained data from the Information System on Live Births and Mortality, by integrated linkage. Results In multiple logistic regression, neonatal mortality was associated with: number of prenatal visits less than 7 (OR=3.80;CI:1,66-8,70); gestational age less than 37 weeks (OR=4.77;CI:1.48-15.38), Apgar score less than 7 at the 1st minute (OR=4.25;CI:1.84-9.81) and the 5th minute (OR=5.72,CI:2.24-14.60) and presence of congenital anomaly (OR=14.39;IC:2.72-76.09). Conclusion Neonatal mortality in infants with low birth weight is associated with avoidable factors through adequate attention to prenatal care, childbirth and infants.


Baixo peso ao nascer em adolescentes e adultas jovens na Região Nordeste do Brasil

Objetivos: avaliar a associação entre as características sociodemográficas, do pré-natal e do parto de mães adolescentes e adultas jovens com o baixo peso ao nascer, em capitais e outros municípios da Região Nordeste do Brasil, no período de 2011 e 2012. Métodos: estudo transversal, de base hospitalar e nível regional, realizado em 2011 e 2012. As informações foram obtidas por meio de entrevista com a puérpera no pós-parto imediato e coletados dados dos prontuários maternos e dos recém-nascidos. Um modelo teórico conceitual foi estabelecido com três níveis de hierarquia e a variável dependente foi o baixo peso ao nascer (BPN). Resultados: do total de 3009 puérperas entrevistadas, 9,7% apresentaram conceptos com baixo peso. As puérperas que realizaram menos que seis consultas no pré-natal apresentaram uma chance 1,7 vezes maior de ter RN com baixo peso; ser primigesta aumentou a chance da ocorrência do BPN em 1,5 vezes; assim como a prematuridade que representou o principal fator de exposição, elevando em 21 vezes a chance desse desfecho. Conclusões: o estudo demonstrou alta frequência de baixo peso ao nascer entre mães adolescentes e adultas jovens, tendo como principais fatores associados o número insuficiente de consultas pré-natal, primigestação e prematuridade.

Aleitamento materno em crianças de 0 a 59 meses no Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil, segundo o peso ao nascer

Objetivou-se descrever e analisar a prática do aleitamento materno em crianças menores de cinco anos no estado de Pernambuco, em 2006, segundo o peso ao nascer. Estudo transversal, com amostra de 1.595 crianças. Utilizou-se o teste chi-quadrado de Pearson para analisar associações bivariadas e a regressão de Poisson para o ajustamento de modelo multivariado dos fatores condicionantes ao aleitamento exclusivo > 4 meses, segundo o peso ao nascer. Verificou-se que a realização do pré-natal e o número de consultas beneficiaram as crianças que nasceram com peso > 2.500g, quando comparadas aos casos com peso < 2.500g (baixo peso ao nascer - BPN). Não houve diferença estatística nas classificações do aleitamento materno, segundo o peso ao nascer. As variáveis anos de estudo formal e tipo de parto apresentaram-se associadas ao grupo de BPN, enquanto que para as crianças com peso > 2.500g foram detectadas associações com as variáveis renda per capita, espaço geográfico, orientação sobre aleitamento materno no pré-natal e sexo das crianças. O grupo de crianças BPN não foi favorecido quanto às recomendações referentes ao aleitamento materno, bem como foram diferentes os resultados das relações das variáveis que permaneceram nos dois grupos representando os modelos finais de análises multivariadas.