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REVIEW ARTICLE
Year : 2015  |  Volume : 3  |  Issue : 5  |  Page : 19-26

Exposure to biomass fuel and low child birth weight – Findings of Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006–2007


1 Department of Community Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
2 Department of Surgery, Civil Hospital Karachi, Dow University of Health Science, Karachi, Pakistan
3 Department of Biochemistry, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

Correspondence Address:
Mubashir Zafar
Department of Community Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi
Pakistan
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/2347-9019.168569

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Objectives: Polluted biomass fuel important contributor for low birth weight (LBW). Exposure to biomass fuel during pregnancy lead to LBW, the objective of this study was to determine the association of exposure to biomass fuel and LBW. Methods: In total, 10,023 ever married women were interviewed reported 41,094 births for last 5 years from Pakistan Demographic Health Survey 2006–07. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between biomass exposure and birth weight after adjusting for demographic, maternal, and child characteristics. Odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence interval (CI) and P value were calculated. Results: The proportion of LBW was 35.4% (n = 1777) in common high polluted biomass fuel (wood), 36.3% (n = 282) in less common high polluted biomass fuel (electricity, cylinder gas, and biogas) and 29.5% (n = 805) in common low polluted biomass fuel (natural gas). Infants born to common high polluted biomass fuel (wood) users were 28% more likely to have LBW (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.02–1.61, P = 0.03) compared with infants born to common low polluted biomass fuel (natural gas) users while significant positive association of less common high polluted biomass fuel with LBW (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.07–1.84, P value 0.01) after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion: Biomass fuel exposure during pregnancy was significantly associated with LBW of child. There is need for reduce the exposure of polluted biomass fuel and replace with low biomass fuel to reduced burden of LBW.


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