According to WHO, a newborn is said to have low birth weight (LBW) if it weighs less than 2500gm within 1 hour of birth, irrespective of the gestational age( because after one hour of birth it starts loosing weight, i.e.postnatal weight) and according to Indian scientists birth weight of 2 kg or less is considered as the criteria to call LBW, because of the widespread prevalence of maternal malnutrition.

Determinants of birth weight

Birth weight is determined by two processes

1.Length of pregnancy period

2.Intrauterine growth rate

Accordingly there are two types of LBW babies

1.Preterm baby

2.Small for date baby

Preterm baby

Preterm baby is the one, born after 28 completed weeks and before 37 completed weeks of gestation, i.e. between 196 to 259 days.

Normal gestation period is 40 weeks =280 days.

The intrauterine growth for that pregnancy period is normal but since it is born before 37 completed weeks, it is also called as 'premature baby'. This occurs in 30 percent of all LBWs in India. If care is taken, such a child will catch up the growth and will be normal within 2 years.

Small for date baby

Small for date baby (SFD baby) is a newborn, which is smaller and lighter than what it should have been for that pregnancy period due to failure in the intrauterine growth. This may be born preterm or after full term. This occurs in 70 percent of all LBWs in India.

Causes

Medical cause

Maternal causes-  Are all high risk mothers except diabetic mother's.

Placental cause- placental insufficiency, placental previa, premature separation of placenta, congenital defects of the placenta.

Fetal causes- Twins, triplets, quadruplets, hydramnios, dwarfism, fetal abnormalities (with congenital detect), intrauterine infection, chromosomal abnormalities.

Special causes

These are poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, poor standard of living, lack of knowledge on FP, early marriages, smoking and strenuous work during pregnancy. These occurs as maternal causes.

Care of Low birth weight babies

Babies above 2500gm birth weight require normal care at home.

Babies between 2500gm and 2000gm birth weight - require special care at home.

Babies less than 2000gm birth weight require intensive neonatal care in the hospital.

Babies less than 2000gm and more than 1800gm and stable hemodynamic require kangaroo mother care.

Normal care at home

By essential care of the newborn

By all measures to prevent infections, hypothermia and malnutrition.

Special care at home

Gentle handling, minimum handling

Handling with clean hands

No handling by sick person

Handling by minimum no of person

Room must be warm, clean and dust free.

Immunization to given right in time.

Bath is no given till it gains 250ogm weight

Wrapped with clean dry and warm cotton cloth. Cover the head also except face and body is covered with blanket to prevent heat loss.

Bottles filled with warm water and covered with thin cloth are kept on either side of the newborn or baby without blanket is kept near 60 candle bulb burning.

The selection of homoeopathic remedies based on symptom similarities and doses according to the Susceptibility of patient.

Don't take homoeopathic medicine without any prescription / without any advise of physician.