New Delhi, Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of babies in India born with low weight has increased dramatically - by around three per cent, according to a new study.
Babies born during the pandemic were also found to have twice the risk of having low birth weight.
The increase in babies born with low weight could affect the development of "human capital" in the long term, as these babies are known to often "struggle with school," said corresponding author Santosh Kumar, associate professor of development and global health economics. he said at the University of Notre Dame, United States.
"Children who have a lower birth weight as babies often have difficulty with school and this limits their ability to develop what economists often call 'human capital': the key knowledge and skills that will affect their ability to earn a living. and sustain themselves and their families well," Kumar said.
About one in four babies (3 crore) worldwide are born with low weight, which the World Health Organization (WHO) defines as less than 2.5 kilograms.
About 95 percent of these babies are born in low- and middle-income countries, and about half are born in South Asia, according to the authors of the study published in the journal Communications Medicine.
In this study, researchers found that babies born between April 2020 and April 2021 weighed less than the limit defined by the WHO, compared to those born before the pandemic.
More than two lakh babies were tested, of which 12,000 were born during the pandemic and around 1,92,000 were born before the pandemic. The data was taken from the fifth round of India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted during 2019-2021.
"The prevalence rate of low birth weight (among infants) is 20 percent in the pandemic cohort and 17 percent in the pre-pandemic cohort," the authors wrote in the study, which they say is the first in analyzing how the pandemic affected birth outcomes in India using a nationally representative sample.
On average, birth weight during the pandemic years was found to have dropped by 11 grams.
The authors also found that babies born during the pandemic had twice the risk of having low birth weight compared to those born before the pandemic.
While a significant number of children affected by the pandemic were seen in rural areas and socially disadvantaged communities, researchers found that a large number of babies from wealthier households were also affected.
Multiple factors related to the pandemic, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID, stress related to social distancing, economic upheaval, and disruption of maternal and neonatal care, may have affected women's health behaviors. pregnant women and contributed to lower birth weight. Kumar said.
Babies born during the pandemic were also found to have twice the risk of having low birth weight.
The increase in babies born with low weight could affect the development of "human capital" in the long term, as these babies are known to often "struggle with school," said corresponding author Santosh Kumar, associate professor of development and global health economics. he said at the University of Notre Dame, United States.
"Children who have a lower birth weight as babies often have difficulty with school and this limits their ability to develop what economists often call 'human capital': the key knowledge and skills that will affect their ability to earn a living. and sustain themselves and their families well," Kumar said.
About one in four babies (3 crore) worldwide are born with low weight, which the World Health Organization (WHO) defines as less than 2.5 kilograms.
About 95 percent of these babies are born in low- and middle-income countries, and about half are born in South Asia, according to the authors of the study published in the journal Communications Medicine.
In this study, researchers found that babies born between April 2020 and April 2021 weighed less than the limit defined by the WHO, compared to those born before the pandemic.
More than two lakh babies were tested, of which 12,000 were born during the pandemic and around 1,92,000 were born before the pandemic. The data was taken from the fifth round of India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted during 2019-2021.
"The prevalence rate of low birth weight (among infants) is 20 percent in the pandemic cohort and 17 percent in the pre-pandemic cohort," the authors wrote in the study, which they say is the first in analyzing how the pandemic affected birth outcomes in India using a nationally representative sample.
On average, birth weight during the pandemic years was found to have dropped by 11 grams.
The authors also found that babies born during the pandemic had twice the risk of having low birth weight compared to those born before the pandemic.
While a significant number of children affected by the pandemic were seen in rural areas and socially disadvantaged communities, researchers found that a large number of babies from wealthier households were also affected.
Multiple factors related to the pandemic, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID, stress related to social distancing, economic upheaval, and disruption of maternal and neonatal care, may have affected women's health behaviors. pregnant women and contributed to lower birth weight. Kumar said.
