THE EFFECT OF INSUFFICIENT IRON CONSUMPTION DURING PREGNANCY ON THE RISK OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT IN RSUD KOTA DEPOK AND BEKASI

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of low consumption of iron tablets during pregnancy on the risk of low birth weight. This case–control study included 56 women who gave birth to infants weighing <2500 g in RSUD Kota Depok and Bekasi. The control group consisted of 112 mothers who gave birth to infants weighing ≥ 2500 g.

Methods: This study was performed from September 2015 to December 2015. Data were collected from patient's medical records and via structured interviews with questionnaires.

Results: We found that, among the study participants, 73.2% were aged 20-35 years, 76.2% had a gestational age ≥37 weeks, 61.3% had 1-3 children parity, time from previous delivery was >2 years in 53.6%, 95.2% did not complete antenatal examinations, 95.8% had a body weight of ≥40 kg before pregnancy, 91.1% showed a ≥5 kg increase in body weight during pregnancy, 45.8% had a high school education, 88.7% were housewives, hemoglobin level was ≥11 g/dL in 63.1%, and 53.0% did not consume heme-containing food daily. Only 53% of the participants consumed an adequate amount of iron, whereas the remaining 47% consumed less than the recommended amount of iron. Bivariate tests revealed that women who consumed an inadequate amount of iron during pregnancy had a 6.08-fold higher risk of low birth weight than women who consumed an adequate amount of iron during pregnancy.

Conclusions: The strongest risk factor for low birth weight was inadequate consumption of iron during pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] = 5.87; 95%, CI: 2.76-12.49) followed by inadequate gestational age (OR = 4.27; 95%, CI: 2.76-12.49).