Abstract:
It is estimated that more than 22 million babies born worldwide annually are of low birth weight (< 2500 gm) of whom 95.6% are in the low resource countries and this trend has not changed in the last 10 years. Low birth weight babies account for 60–80% of all neonatal deaths. From observation of the principal investigator, low birth weight neonates are among commonly admitted newborns to Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital, however the prevalence and associated factors are not studied previously.