ArticlePloS one2015
Maternal Determinants of Birth Weight in Northern Ghana.
Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 64 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preconception health risks among women of reproductive age in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of implications for preconception care.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Gestational weight gain and its effect on birth outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2020Pooled it
- Overweight and obesity epidemic in Ghana-a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2016Pooled it
- Gestational weight gain during the second and third trimesters and adverse pregnancy outcomes, results from a prospective pregnancy cohort in urban Tanzania.Reproductive health · 2022Trial
- Determinants of low birth weight in the context of maternal nutrition education in urban informal settlements, Kenya.Journal of developmental origins of health and disease · 2019Trial
- Do maternal self-reported socio-demographic and green space characteristics influence neonatal birth weight? Evidence from Ghana.Maternal health, neonatology and perinatology · 2026Article
- Regional and socioeconomic inequalities and factors associated with low birth weight in Ghana: a multilevel analysis of the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
- Factors associated with weighing a child at birth: Evidence from 16 sub-Saharan African countries.PloS one · 2025Article
- Fruits and vegetables intake improves birth outcomes of women with gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.BMC nutrition · 2024Article
- Maternal risk factors for low birthweight and macrosomia: a cross-sectional study in Northern Region, Ghana.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2023Article
- Article
- Effect of maternal dietary habits and gestational weight gain on birth weight: an analytical cross-sectional study among pregnant women in the Tamale Metropolis.The Pan African medical journal · 2023Article
- Women's perspectives on human milk banking in Ghana: results from a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Malaria in pregnancy control and pregnancy outcomes: a decade's overview using Ghana's DHIMS II data.Malaria journal · 2022Review
- Mediation effect of cord blood cortisol levels between maternal prepregnancy body mass index and birth weight: a hospital-based cross-sectional study.Clinical and experimental pediatrics · 2022Article
- Factors associated with overweight or obesity among post-partum women in the Tamale Metropolis, Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study.The Pan African medical journal · 2022Article
- Compromised maternal nutritional status in early pregnancy and its relation to the birth size in young rural Indian mothers.BMC nutrition · 2021Article
- Institute of Medicine Recommendations on the Rate of Gestational Weight Gain and Perinatal Outcomes in Rural Bangladesh.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Maternal risk factors and neonatal outcomes associated with low birth weight in a secondary referral hospital in Ghana.Heliyon · 2021Article
- Gestational weight gain in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling analysis using nationally representative data.BMJ global health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesWeight at birth is usually considered as an indicator of the health status of a given society. As a result this study was designed to investigate the association between birth weight and maternal factors such as gestational weight gain, pre-pregnancy BMI and socio-economic status in Northern Ghana.
methodsThe study was a facility-based cross-sectional survey conducted in two districts in the Northern region of Ghana. These districts were purposively sampled to represent a mix of urban, peri-urban and rural population. The current study included 419 mother-infant pairs who delivered at term (37-42 weeks). Mother's height, pre-pregnancy weight and weight changes were generated from the antenatal records. Questionnaires were administered to establish socio-economic and demographic information of respondents. Maternal factors associated with birth weight were examined using multiple and univariate regressions.
resultsThe mothers were generally well nourished before conception (Underweight 3.82%, Normal 57.76%, Overweight 25.06% and Obesity 13.37%) but approximately half of them could not gain adequate weight according to Institute of Medicine recommendations (Low weight gain 49.64%, Adequate weight gain 42.96% and Excessive weight gain 7.40%). Infants whose mothers had excess weight gain were 431g (95% CI 18-444) heavier compared to those whose mothers gained normal weight, while those whose mothers gained less were 479g (95% CI -682- (-276) lighter. Infants of mothers who were overweight and obese before conception were 246g (95% CI 87-405) and 595g (95% CI 375-815) respectively heavier than those of normal mothers, whereas those whose mothers were underweight were 305g (95% CI -565 -(-44) lighter. The mean birth weight observed was 2.98 ± 0.68 kg.
conclusionOur findings show that pre-pregnancy body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy influence birth weight. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on counseling and assisting pregnant women to stay within the recommended weight gain ranges.
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