The incidence of low birth weight rose sharply in India amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame. Globally, 1 in 4 newborns has a low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds), and the problem disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries -; particularly in South Asia, home to approximately one-fourth of the world's population.
Santosh Kumar, associate professor of development and global health economics at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs, co-authored the study published in Communications Medicine , a Nature series journal. This research shows that low birth weight became more common in India during the pandemic. We saw the exacerbation of a global health problem that affects educational outcomes and poverty rates.
" Santosh Kumar, associate professor of development and global health economics at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs "Children who have lower birth weight as infants often go on to struggle with school, and this limits their capacity to develop what economists often call 'human capital' -; the key knowledge and skills that will affect their ability to earn a good living and support themselves and their families." The study found that babies born between April 2020 and April 2021 had lower birth weights than previous birth cohorts (those born before the pandemic), Kumar said. Researchers analyzed data from more than 200,000 infants, Kumar said, including a pandemic cohort that included alm.
