Archive · 18 Jun 2025
Study Finds Low Birth Weight Cases Decline in India
Imagine babies being born and some are smaller than they should be.
A study in India looked at this.
Over time, fewer babies are born too small, which is good news.
However, many small babies are still born in only a few states.
Being small at birth can sometimes cause health problems later on.
The study looked at information gathered over many years and found that some states have made more progress than others in reducing the number of small babies.
Low birth weight prevalence in India declined from 26% in 1993 to 18% in 2021.
Four states (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal) account for nearly half of low-birth-weight births.
Low birth weight is linked to maternal health issues and poor nutrition.
The study analyzed data from the National Family Health Survey.
Mizoram and Nagaland consistently had the lowest low birth weight prevalence.
- Who
- Researchers from Duke and Harvard universities, and institutes in South Korea, conducted the analysis.
- What
- Prevalence of low birth weight in India from 1993 to 2021 was analyzed.
- When
- The study covered the period from 1993 to 2021.
- Where
- India
- Why
- To assess the trends and prevalence of low birth weight in India and identify contributing factors.
Socioeconomic Factors
Healthcare Disparities
Low Birth Weight Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Lack of formal education and low socioeconomic status increase the likelihood of low birth weight.
Healthcare Disparities
The study suggests that there is a general decline in the prevalence of low birth weight and convergence between states over time.
- Low birth weight definition
- Under 2.5 kg
- Overall decline (1993-2021)
- 8 percentage points
- Low birth weight births in a single year
- 42 lakh
- States with the highest prevalence in 1993
- Rajasthan (48%)
- States with the highest prevalence in 2021
- Punjab and Delhi (22%)
- States with the lowest prevalence
- Mizoram and Nagaland
