Low Birth Weight: a Case for Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital in Zimbabwe

This study was designed to explore factors that influence low birth weight among infants born at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital in zimbabwe. Data was collected on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th March 2010. The study sample consisted of 100 respondents (mothers) and 103 subjects (infants). Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Frequency tables and chi-square were used to test hypotheses at 95% level of confidence. Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between family income, marital status, maternal level of education, parity, number of pregnancies, maternal age, number of maternal antenatal clinic visits and infants low birth weight. Two variables of family income and maternal antenatal clinic visits were found to be statistically significant.