title: Low birthweight in China: evidence from 441 health facilities between 2012 and 2014.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify new evidence about the burden and risk factors of low birthweight (LBW) in China using national facility-based data.
  
  
  METHODS
  The association between sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and LBW was examined using a multilevel model, taking into account the clustering of livebirths within hospitals and multiple gestations per woman.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3 915 965 deliveries and 235 247 cases born with LBW, producing a LBW rate of 5.36% in mainland China; 65.34% of all cases of LBW were caused by preterm birth. The LBW rate was particularly high for women who delivered at home, were younger than 14 years of age, were unmarried, were illiterate, had not received antenatal care, had delivered three or more infants and who had multiple gestations. Maternal complications were strongly associated with LBW, but the risk effects of full-term LBW were lower than for of LBW.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  China's LBW rate was lower than that of many other countries, but due to its large population size, the number of infants born with LBW still contributed significantly to the overall number of LBW births globally. By recognizing populations of the most disadvantaged women, we can identify opportunities for prevention and intervention that target LBW.
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.|b Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Mingrong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: c Health and Nutrition & Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, UNICEF China , Beijing , China , and.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scherpbier
authors.affiliation: d Health Section, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia , Kathmandu , Nepal.
authors.forename: Sufang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: c Health and Nutrition & Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, UNICEF China , Beijing , China , and.
authors.forename: Xiaona
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Leni
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.|b Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: a National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University , Chengdu , Sichuan , China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Low birthweight; obstetric characteristics; preterm birth; sociodemographic characteristics