Birth Size

LGA prevalence declined with increasing maternal age while SGA prevalence increased, reflecting distinct risk profiles across the reproductive age spectrum. Low birth weight is a well-established risk factor for child morbidity and mortality and is linked to poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy. Children born very small had substantially higher prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight compared to those born average or large. SGA infants are associated with hypoxia, nutritional deficiencies, cognitive impairment, and long-term risks of heart disease, kidney disease, and osteoporosis. LGA infants face elevated risks of childhood obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and immediate birth complications and injuries. Birth size was significantly associated with all three nutritional outcomes — stunting, wasting, and underweight. Birth weight is classified into three categories — LGA (>90th percentile), SGA (<10th percentile), and AGA (10th–90th percentile) — and serves as a key indicator of fetal health and intrauterine exposures.