Adverse Birth Outcomes in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, every year, thousands of children are born with low birthweight (LBW) and are at risk of experiencing morbidity and mortality in infancy and adulthood. This chapter characterizes the spatial and temporal epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention model for LBW in Bangladesh using the Demographic and Health Survey and empirical literature. A pattern of path dependence in LBW occurrences in Bangladesh is found: divisions retaining their high (e.g., Chittagong) or low (e.g., Rangpur) baseline rates for decades. Childbearing norms are identified as an influential factor in the retention of high LBW rates and a set of interventions to delay childbearing for optimal childbirth is proposed. These interventions are aimed at removing barriers in order to delay childbearing, related to…