Rahul Majumdar1, Shweta Kumari Singh2, Mridula Chatterjee3
BACKGROUND
The birth weight of an infant is the single most important determinant of its chances of survival, healthy growth & development. Over the past four decades, a number of health programmes regarding newborn & child health care have been implemented in India which has led to decline in neonatal & infant mortality rate, better sex ratio & increased number of institutional deliveries.
This study was conducted in department of Paediatric Medicine of North Bengal Medical College to assess the decadal trend in incidence of LBW and perinatal asphyxia, changes in sex ratio & mode of delivery.
AIM & OBJECTIVE
To study the changing trend in the incidence of low birth weight, perinatal asphyxia, sex ratio at birth & mode of delivery in a rural medical college of West Bengal over last four decades.
MATERIAL & METHODS
A retrospective longitudinal hospital based study was conducted in Department of Paediatric Medicine at North Bengal Medical College over last four decades. From this retrospective record, birth weight of the babies, APGAR score at one & five minutes, mode of delivery & female: 1000 male ratio was obtained.
RESULT & CONCLUSION
It was found that the incidence of LBW had was initially high (32.7% in 1986-87) but gradually declined to 26.4% in 2014-15. Incidence of birth asphyxia overall decreased from 17.2% in 1985-86 to 15.6% in 2014-15. Sex ratio at birth has gradually improved from 927 in 1986-87 after the implementation of Preconceptional prenatal diagnostic Act. In 2014-15, it was 934 females per 1000 male births; however, incidence of caesarean sections increased from 15.3% in 1776-77 to 44.7% in 2014-15.
