Factors influencing birth weights in Cameroon

Abstract

After gestational age has been shown to be significantly correlated with mean birth weights in Cameroon, the aim of this study was to determine other factors which can also influence birth weights. This was a cross sectional study carried out in the obstetrics and gynaecology units of 4 major hospitals in Yaoundé during the nine months period (March 5 to December 20, 2004), using pre-coded questionnaires. We recruited 546 neonates delivered to mothers of Cameroonian nationality whose gestational ages at delivery were validated by ultrasonography to be at least 28 completed weeks. Data was analysed using the statistical packages SPSS 10.0 and STATA 8.2. We found on univariate analyses that in addition to gestational age, maternal age, Province of origin and marital status were important factors that influence birth weights in Cameroon. We also found that parity of mothers and sex of the babies were not significant predictors of birth weights in Cameroon. However on stepwise logistic regression analysis, gestational age followed by marital status in that order were retained in the final model as the two most important factors that predict birth weight in Cameroon. We recommend that the effects of other risk factors like cigarette smoking and nutritional status be studied in future because of the increasing impact of emerging changes in life patterns in our country.

Clinics in Mother and Child Health Vol. 2(2) 2005: 369-373