THE IMPACT OF MATERNAL NUTRITIONAL STATUS ON THE INCIDENCE OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND PREMATURITY IN BOTSWANA

Abstract

Low birth weight (LBW) and prematurity are significant public health problems facing Botswana and other developing countries. The prevalence of LBW is estimated to be at 15% worldwide, and 33-38% in developing countries. Prematurity and LBW are the primary risk factors and cause of under-five mortality which is a significant issue in Botswana. Evidence suggests that pre and during pregnancy, nutrition is a vital factor in the outcome of the pregnancy and the newborn's health. While this evidence exists, organizations such as UNICEF advocate for better maternal nutrition pre and during pregnancy, there is minimal efforts to address these in Botswana due to lack of data and awareness of the problem.

The goal of this paper is to describe and compare the relationship between maternal nutritional status using national statistics on poverty as a proxy for nutritional status with the incidence of LBW and prematurity in the two most impoverished districts in Botswana compared to the national averages and the two well off districts. Data on LBW from the Ministry of Health and poverty incidence from the Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey. The results show that the incidence of LBW at the national level is 12.5% and the odds ratios between national rate and each district range from 0.57 to 1.39 while between the most impoverished districts and well off districts range from 0.82 to 2.4. Children born in poor districts are at higher risk of LBW than in well off districts.