Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

Background & Objectives: Low birth weight is among the causes of various disorders. Low birth weight is one of the most serious health problems in today's world. It is probably a cause of death in the neonatal period. The mortality rate of infants weighing less than 2500 grams is 40 times higher than their normal–weight counterparts. This case is valid in these children even concerning mortality before 15 years of age (at greater risk). Low birth weight can also be associated with short–term and long–term problems for the individual. Sensory and motor disorders, such as intellectual disabilities, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, cardiovascular disease, can also be induced by low birth weight. Several factors contribute to this condition. Thus, recognizing these characteristics can be controlled by taking them to reduce the incidence of this disorder. Among the factors affecting birth weight are biological, cognitive, and psychological characteristics. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between parents' biological and cognitive characteristics and low birth weight in neonates.
Methods: This was a case–control study. The statistical population consisted of all infants born from October 2014 to October 2015 and their parents. Using the neonatal and maternity records of Imam Reza Hospital in Sirjan City, Iran, 25 parents of neonates weighing less than 2500 grams and 25 parents of neonates weighing over 2500 grams were selected. 
Dr. Afrooz's questionnaire on biological, psychological, and social characteristics was used to collect the necessary data. The mean and standard deviation were used; for the serial variables, frequency and percentage were applied. Furthermore, to investigate the relationship between the study variables, the Chi–squared test, Fisher's Exact test, linear correlation, binary logistic regression analysis, and nonparametric test, Independent–Samples t–test (for continuous variables), were used. SPSS was implemented to analyze the collected data at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: The present study findings suggested no significant difference between the mean scores of maternal and fetal age and the mean maternal overweight at the time of admission in both groups of low and normal infants (p<0.05); however, the mean weight at birth, birth height, and head circumference in normal–weight infants were significantly higher than those in their low birth weight counterparts (p<0.05). Marriage type did not present any significant difference between the two groups (p<0.05). In single–variable and logistic regression analyses, only the father's knowledge about maternal pregnancy significantly affected low birth weight (p=0.017).
Conclusion: The biological characteristics and recognition features affect newborns' weight at birth. This study's results can be used in health care, especially for pregnant women.