title: Morbidity pattern of low-birth-weight infants in an urban slum of Kolkata, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low birth weight (birth weight<2500 g) is one of the major determinants of neonatal morbidity as well as mortality and these are known to be significantly higher in these infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the morbidity pattern of low-birth-weight (LBW) infants in an urban slum in Kolkata, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A follow-up community-based study was undertaken in 2004-2005 in an urban slum of Chetla (Kolkata, West Bengal, India), among 126 singleton live-born babies, who were followed up for 9 months at 15±5 days interval by home visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Incidence of LBW was 28.6%. Morbidity episodes and hospitalization rate were more in LBW than in normal-birth-weight infants. Overall, gastrointestinal infection and acute respiratory infection were predominant in both LBW and normal-birth-weight babies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although morbidity episodes as well as hospitalization rate were lower compared with other studied slums of India, there is still room for further improvement of health status of these babies. Adequate care, exclusive breast-feeding, and proper nutrition of the LBW infants must be ensured to have healthy lifestyle free from morbidity.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Community Medicine, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research bDepartment of Community Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata cDepartment of Community Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan dPost Graduate Trainee, Community Medicine, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Bobby
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Indranil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: Abhijit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Ranadeb
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Sima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Ramendra N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D009017:Morbidity; D011204:Poverty Areas