Estimated Burden of Premature Death and Morbidity from Low Birth Weight Infants in Thailand

Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the burden of premature death and morbidity consequences due to infants born with a low birth weight (LBW).

Study Design: This study was a secondary data analysis and part of the study of the burden of diseases and injuries in the Thai population in 2014.

Methodology: Data were collected from national public health statistics, a vital registration database, and the morbidity burden from the LBW consequences was analysed according to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2000. The burden was estimated by the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). DALYs are the combination of two components: years of life lost (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD).

Results: Among the registered live births in 2014, 10.4% were born with a birth weight less than or equal to 2500 g accounting for 180,853 healthy lives lost. The number of deaths resulting from LBW was 2.4 per 1000 live births for both genders, and LBW was the leading cause of death in children under five years of age. Cerebral palsy and mild permanent disabilities were the highest attributed morbidity burden among children with a disability. The estimated burden of LBW attributed to 16.1% of the total DALYs loss from the burden of all causes among children under five years old.

Conclusion: LBW remains a burden in Thailand. Premature death was the primary driver for the total DALYs loss. The current study revealed the need to develop appropriate interventions for the developmental delay and children with a disability, as well as to conduct a long-term follow-up study concerning infants born with LBW.