Vol. 2, Issue 3, Part I (2016)

Abstract

Background: A child birth is closely related to maternal health because during antenatal period, the fetus is part of the mother and who receives oxygen and other nutrients through the mother’s blood. If a healthy mother brings forth a healthy baby, there is less chance for low birth weight. And the air pollution at current levels is a serious threat to health. The exposure to air pollutants in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy may leads to small for gestational age and LBW.

Objectives: 1.To survey the air pollution level at selected areas in Chennai. 2. Assess the birth weight of newborns. 3. Association between air pollutants (SO₂, NOX, and RSPM & TSPM) and birth weight of newborns. 4. Association between demographic variable proforma, clinical proforma, obstetrical proforma and air pollution proforma with birth weight of newborns.

Methods: A Non-Experimental, Prospective Descriptive design with Non-Probability Purposive sampling technique was adopted. 350 mothers of newborns were selected from five maternity corporation centres.

Results: Majority of the newborns (73.7%) had normal birth weight, 24.3% of them were had low birth weight and very few newborns (2%) had very low birth weight, where none of the newborns belonged to extremely low birth weight. There is a significant association between age, weight gain during pregnancy, PIH, preterm delivery, fetal complications, presence of stagnated water, close distribution of houses and birth weight of newborns at the level P<0.01 & P<0.05 level. The findings also revealed that there was a significant association between SO₂, NOX, RSPM &TSPM and birth weight of newborns at p<0.05level.

Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant association between SO₂, NOX, RSPM &TSPM and birth weight of newborns at p<0.05level.Therefore, it needs to increase the pregnant mothers awareness through MCH services by designing an appropriate strategies including provision of targeted information, education and communication regarding effect of air pollution on birth weight of newborns.