Abstract
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) reflects maternal health during pregnancy. It is related to the future risk of disease in adults. It predicts health problems in babies after birth. Several studies have shown that anemia in pregnant mothers has an impact on the occurrence of LBW. Maternal upper arm circumference (MUAC) predicts the risk of LBW. This study aimed to estimate the relationship between maternal anemia and MUAC on the risk of LBW.
Subjects and Method: A meta-analysis study was conducted using a PICO research question. Population: Pregnant women. Intervention: anemia, MUAC <23 cm. Comparison: no anemia, MUAC ≥23 cm. Outcome: LBW. Articles were searched from databases PubMed and Google Scholar published from 2018 to 2023. Keywords used "anemia" AND "MUAC" AND "LBW" AND "cross-sectional". The inclusion criteria were full text, cross-sectional study, and reported adjusted odds ratio (aOR). The articles were analyzed using RevMan 5.3.
Result: The meta-analysis included 18 articles from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Nepal. The total sample of 10,103 pregnant women. Pregnant mothers with anemia were 3.06 times more likely to have babies born with LBW compared to those who had no anemia, and it was statistically significant (aOR= 3.06; CI 95%= 2.50 to 3.75; p= 0.001). Pregnant mothers with MUAC <23 cm were 2.54 times more likely to have babies born with LBW compared to those with MUAC ≥23 cm, and it was statistically significant (aOR= 2.54; 95% CI= 2.00 to 3.24; p= 0.001).
Conclusion: The risk of babies with LBW increases in pregnant mothers with anemia and MUAC <23 cm.
Keywords: LBW, anemia, MUAC, pregnancy.
Article Data
