Antenatal care and the occurrence of Low Birth Weight delivery among women in remote mountainous region of Chitral, Pakistan

Objective: Low birth weight (LBW) is closely associated with perinatal morbidity and bears an increased risk for subsequent infant morbidity. The study aimed to assess low birth weight delivery factors among women in Chitral, Pakistan. Methodology: Mixed Methodology was adopted. Structured data collection tool was used to collect information from medical records of 1316 mothers, followed by interviews and focus group discussions to understand the causes and their remedies. The main outcome measure was infants born with low birth weight LBW (\u3c2.5kg). Result: There was a significant association between the occurrence of low birth weight and maternal education, paternal education, and paternal occupation. Mothers who received antenatal care were more likely to deliver normal weight babies compared to those who did not. Women with more than four antenatal visits were six times as likely to deliver normal weight babies. Key facilitators for using antenatal services include information received from health center staff during home visits, advice from mothers and mother in-laws, and programs on media. Barriers include high cost for antenatal care, non-availability of transport, particularly in emergencies, and lack of awareness about benefits of antenatal care. Conclusion: The study suggested proper strategies for antenatal care to increase the awareness among women living in remote locations. The limitations are needed to be identified and considered when designing interventions to reduce LBW deliveries in Pakistan