“Identify and briefly discuss two factors associated with low birth weight in babies. Summarise one health program that targets one of these factors. Identify a population in Australia which is most affected by LBW.”
Low birth weight, often abbreviated as L.B.W, is a prevalent health issue affecting newborns not only in Australia, but also around the world. There are many factors associated with the occurrence of low birth weight, two of the most common being smoking of tobacco and the abuse of illicit substances by mothers during pregnancy. In regards to smoking, many health programs exist to help lower the impact it has on public health, and in turn, the impact on birth weight. Among them, the Australian national 'Quit Now' program targets smokers of all ages and demographics, including pregnant women, by promoting the dangers of tobacco use and quitting strategies. Although nearly all populations can be affected by low birth weight, it will be seen that it is the Native Australian population who are most likely to have instances of underweight infants, as they can be found to have a higher rate of substance abuse and are more likely to be smokers than non-Native Australian people.
Despite all the information available to the public on dangers of smoking today, it is still a common habit. According to Siahpush (2003), more than 23% of people in Australia are smokers of tobacco. Adding to this, tobacco use is often cited as the number one reported substance used during pregnancy by expectant mothers (Gyllstrom, Hellerstedt & McGover 2010). Smoking of tobacco during pregnancy causes low birth weight in the offspring of those considered to be active smokers, and the average infant born to a smoking mother weighs 200g less than an average and otherwise healthy infant (Salmasi et al. 2010). Research has shown that this use of tobacco by pregnant women is directly related to the delivery of children who are defined as underweight (Gyllstrom, Hellerstedt & McGover 2010). Because of this, it can be said tobacco is a contributing factor to instances of low birth weight in infants, amongst other conditions such as cleft lip (Salmasi et al. 2010).
Whilst a definitive contributing factor, smoking is not the only abused consumable that causes low birth weight. Aside from smoking, it is also the abuse of illicit drugs by pregnant women that contributes to low birth weight. Drug use during gestation occurs in at least 8% of cases in Australia, leading from a significantly smaller 5% of cases in the United States (Madgula, Groshkova & Mayet 2011). When comparing statistics between women who consumed illicit drugs whilst pregnant with those who did not, it has been shown that almost 95% of these pregnancies resulted in low birth weight, particularly with the use of opiates (Madgula, Groshkova & Mayet 2011). Women with drug and alcohol addictions are also far less likely to access pre-natal care, often preferring to sate their addiction in lieu of visits to pre-natal doctors or hospitals (Roberts & Pies 2011), and this can affect the early detection of birth abnormalities like low birth weight and hinder prevention strategies. From this it can be seen that drug use is a key contributor to low birth weight not only in Australia, but also around the world.
As previously stated, these factors are not exclusive to any one particular group of pregnant women, as it is widespread. It can be said, however, that certain sub-groups within populations are often more vulnerable than others. This is most definitely the case for Native Australians, who are greatly effected by smoking of tobacco and illicit drug use. Smoking itself is more common in groups of lower socio-economic status, and this includes the Native Australian population (Gilchrist et al. 2004). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001), use of drugs is more common amongst them as well when compared with the rest of the Australian populace. From this it can be seen that the Native Australian populace in general are more likely to be affected by the causes outlined in this essay. In regards to pregnant women, Gilchrist et al (2004) reports that Native Australian women are more likely to smoke whilst they are pregnant and often continue to do so even post-birth and while breastfeeding. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010) also confirmed that 42% of women smoked tobacco and 20% drank alcohol whilst pregnant. Hancock (2007) states that out of all births to Native Australian mothers in 2003, 12.9% of them had low birth weights, and compared with others there were 14% more instances of it amongst Native Australians. It can be said, then, that the Native Australian population is most affected by low birth weight. This is because of the prevalence of smoking and drug abuse, and also due to these statistics that indicate the occurrence of low birth weight is higher in this particular population.
In order to help combat smoking amongst Australians, and subsequently its adverse effects on general public health as well as low birth weight in babies, many initiatives exist to promote smoke-free lifestyles. The 'Quit Now' program is an Australian national program that combines television, newspaper and radio advertisements with Government-initiated graphic imaging on tobacco products. According to the 'Quit Now' website (2010), campaigns include extensive lists of reasons why smokers should quit, including the dramatic increase in life expectancy once cigarettes are given up. The 'Quit Now' website (2010) also includes information that visitors can access to better inform themselves on ways to successfully quit smoking, as well as information on how to access the Quit Line telephone assistance facility and advice to health professionals.
As it has been seen, smoking and drug abuse amongst Australians are contributing factors to low birth weight in newborns. It has been shown that the use of tobacco and illicit substances does have an adverse effect on birth weight when consumed by pregnant mothers. In terms of the population most affected, it has also been seen that it is the Native Australian population, because there is a higher instance of both smoking and drug use within that population. This is also coupled with a significantly high occurrence of pregnant mothers still smoking and using drugs within this community. Initiatives such as the 'Quit Now' program identify risks associated with tobacco use in Australians and attempts to educate the population on ways it can reduce the risk of health issues caused by its use. In summary, it can be said that 'Quit Now' is a useful operation in combating smoking overall, but the best option to avoid instances of low birth weight is abstinence from both contributing factors.
References
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Australia Bureau of Statistics 2010, The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Peoples, accessed 17/03/2011, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/lookup/4704.0Chapter610Oct+2010#ANC
Gilchrist, D, Woods, B, Binns, C, Scott, J, Gracey, M & Smith, H 2004, 'Aboriginal mothers, breastfeeding and smoking', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Vol.28, no.3, pp225-228.
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Hancock, H 2007, 'Low birth weight in Aboriginal babies-A need for rethinking Aboriginal women's pregnancies and birthing', Women and Birth, Vol.20, pp.77-80
Madgula, R, Groshkova, T & Mayet, S 2011, 'Illicit drug use in pregnancy: effects and management', Expert Rev. Obstet. Gynecol. Vol.6, no.2, pp.179-192.
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Salmasi, G, Grady, R, Jones, J & McDonald, S 2010, 'Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analyses', Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica, Vol. 89, pp.423-441.
Siahpush, M 2003, 'Prevalence of smoking in Australia', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Vol.27, no.5, p556.
Quit Now 2010, Reasons to Quit, accessed 15/03/2011, http://quitnow.info.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/reasons-to-quit-lp
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