Really small babies now a global problem

As the world grapples with several problems, one more it has to contend with is the increasing number of babies who are born too small.

More than 20 million such babies came into the world with a low birth weight (less than 2500g; 5.5 pounds) in 2015 —around one in seven of all births worldwide according to the first-ever estimates documenting this major health challenge.

These findings and more are documented in a new research paper developed by experts from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and published in The Lancet Global Health.

More than 80% of the world’s 2.5 million newborns who die every year are of low birth weight. Those low birth weight babies who survive have a greater risk of stunting, and developmental and physical ill health later in life, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Low birth weight is a complex clinical entity composed of intrauterine growth restriction and preterm birth,” says co-author Dr Mercedes de Onis from the Department of Nutrition at WHO.

“This is why reducing low birth weight requires an understanding of the underlying causes in a given country. For example, in Southern Asia, a large proportion of low birth weight babies are born at term but with intrauterine growth restriction, which is associated with maternal undernutrition, including maternal stunting.

“Conversely, preterm birth is the major contributor to low birth weight in settings with many adolescent pregnancies, high prevalence of infection, or where pregnancy is associated with high levels of fertility treatment and caesarean sections (like in USA and Brazil). Understanding and tackling these underlying causes in high-burden countries should be a priority.”

Although close to three-quarters were born in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the problem remains substantial as well in high income countries in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.