Impact of Biomass Fuel Use on Child Birth Size in India
Author Information
Author(s): Sreeramareddy Chandrashekhar T, Shidhaye Rahul R, Sathiakumar Nalini
Primary Institution: Melaka-Manipal Medical College, India
Hypothesis
Does exposure to biomass smoke during pregnancy lower the birth weight of children?
Conclusion
Children born in households using biomass fuels are lighter at birth compared to those born in households using cleaner fuels.
Supporting Evidence
- Children born in households using high pollution fuels were 73 grams lighter than those born in households using low pollution fuels.
- Maternal self-report of child's size at birth was used as a proxy for birth weight due to missing data.
- Adjusted Odds Ratios indicated a significant association between biomass fuel use and child size at birth.
Takeaway
Using dirty fuels like wood for cooking can make babies smaller when they are born.
Methodology
Data from the 2005-06 India Demographic Health Survey was analyzed, focusing on maternal reports of child size at birth and fuel type used in households.
Potential Biases
There may be selection bias due to the high number of unweighed births in households using biomass fuels.
Limitations
The study's cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causality, and there was potential misclassification of exposure and outcome.
Participant Demographics
The study included ever married women aged 15 to 49 years who had given birth to at least one child in the five years prior to the survey.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.06, 1.32
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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