Factores de riesgo en el bajo peso al nacer

a case-control retrospective study was carried out at "luis a. turcios lima" teaching polyclinics form 10 de octubre municipality during the period of 1990-1993, with the aim of identifying the behaviour of low birth weight, establishing the occurrence and intensity of this entity with selected risk factors, and identifying the degree of individual influence of such factors. the sample consisted of 92 low birth weight infants and 468 with normal weight. variables studied were: maternal age, weight appraisal, and obstetric complications, diseases associated with pregnancy, smoking habit, and the intergenesic period. chi square test, odds ratio and the test of attributable risk were applied to both the births and to the overall population. all variables were found to be significantly associated with low birth weight. maternal age of 35 years or over, preterm delivery, early rupture of membranes, toxemia of pregnancy, and diabetes mellitus were identified as risk factors with a great influence. low maternal weight, an intergenesic period of less than 1 year, hypertension, bronchial asthma, smoking, and urinary sepsis were found to be risk factors having a moderate effect, while maternal age of less tahn 20 years appeared to have a mild effect.