Abstract

Background: Newborns are expected to have weight loss in the first few days of life, and there are various putative mechanisms proposed for the same. Many factors may affect newborn weight loss such as parity of the mother, sore/cracked/flat nipple, breastfeeding adequacy. Our aim in this study is to assess significance of these factors in causing weight loss. Material and methods: The present study was a single-center, prospective observational study conducted on new born babies those are admitted with full term delivery and born with normal weight (>2500gm) in a tertiary center in urban bangalore. Neonates were weighed initially at birth by a digital weighing machine and then at regular intervals till day 3 and again on day 10 on follow up, the association of various factors of newborn weight loss were studied. Result and Discussion: In the current study 320 subjects were enrolled. 54.68% were LSCS deliveries and 43.43% were normal deliveries, 49.06% were with P2 parity. Among 320 patients, in 72.18% babies no significant weight loss was observed within 72 hours, 27.81% babies had five percent weight loss and 17.81% babies had ten percent weight loss. 158 mothers had feeling of emptying of breasts after feeding, among them 56 (35.44%) babies were found to have five percent weight loss and 32 (20.25%) babies had ten percent weight loss. 162 mothers did not have the feeling of emptying of breasts after feeding,among them 33 (20.37%) babies were having five percent weight loss and 25 (15.43%) babies had ten percent weight loss with P-value of 0.18 and 0.23, respectively. Among 175 mothers being shifted to post op ward, 73( 41.7% )babies had 5 percent weight loss and 41(23.4%) babies had ten percent weight loss and among 145 mothers not shifted to post op ward only 19(13.10 % )had 5 percent weight loss and 18 ( 12.41% ) babies had ten percent weight loss with significant p value of 0.0001. 89 Mothers had sore nipple/cracked/flat nipple, among them 32 (35.96%) babies had five percent weight loss and 20 (22.47%) babies had ten percent weight loss and among 231 Mothers not having sore nipple/cracked/flat nipple, 45 (19.48%) babies had five percent weight loss and 30 (12.99%) babies had ten percent weight loss with P-value of 0.003 and 0.001 respectively. 168 Mothers had inadequacy of breastfeeding, among them 69 (41.07%) babies had five percent weight loss and 39 (23.21%) babies had ten percent weight loss. among 152 Mother having adequacy of breastfeeding, 20 (13.16%) babies had five percent weight loss 18 (11.84%) babies had ten percent weight loss with p value of 0.0001. Conclusion: The p value was statistically significant for mothers shifted to post op wards, Mother having sore nipple/cracked/flat nipple and Inadequacy of breastfeeding and can be considered as risk factors for weight loss in babies.

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