Effect of Mothers' Education Level and Nutritional Status on that of their New-Borns at Renato Monolo Hospital in Kiremba, Northern Burundi

Abstract

This work focused on a prospective, cross-sectional study with a descriptive and analytical aim on pregnant women coming for labour at Renato Monolo Hospital in Kiremba, northern Burundi. The study involved one hundred and eleven (111) women and the same number of their new-borns. The present research was conducted over a period of 9 months, from March to November 2024. The data collection tools consisted of a questionnaire and mother-child health records. Data processing was carried out using Excel and SPSS software version 21.0. The results indicate that the majority of the surveyed mothers came from the Kiremba commune (73.9%). This is a relatively young group of women, with 48.6% aged between 20 and 30 years. All the women were farmers. However, the level of education varied: secondary (11.71%), primary (45.05%), and illiterate (43.24%). The study revealed that the higher the mothers' level of education, the better their BMI. Indeed, 100% of women with a BMI <18.5 had an education level equal to or below primary school. New-borns with a weight <2500 g accounted for about 20% among mothers with primary and secondary education levels. Similarly, iron supplementation promotes better new-born weight. In conclusion, our study showed that a higher level of education, BMI, and haemoglobin are positively associated with better birth weights in new-borns and that iron supplementation should also continue after childbirth.