Case-Control Study: Differences in Maternal Blood Pressure between Low Birth Weight and Non-Low Birth Weight Cases at Bungkal Health Center, 2022-2024

Background: Hypertension in pregnancy is one of the complications that increases the risk of low birth weight (LBW) due to impaired placental perfusion. At Bungkal Health Center, cases of hypertension among pregnant women and LBW incidence remain relatively high. This study aims to analyze differences in maternal blood pressure between LBW and non-LBW cases at Bungkal Health Center.

Methods: This study employed an analytical observational design with a case–control approach. A total of 94 respondents were included, consisting of 47 mothers who delivered low birth weight infants (case group) and 47 mothers who delivered non–low birth weight infants (control group), selected using simple random sampling. Data were obtained from medical records and analyzed using the Chi-square test and the Independent Sample t-test.

Results: The mean birth weight of infants born to mothers with high blood pressure was 2,282.25 grams, whereas infants born to mothers with normal blood pressure had a mean birth weight of 2,857.74 grams. Statistical analysis showed a p-value < 0.001, indicating a significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusion: There was a significant difference in birth weight between infants born to mothers with high blood pressure and those born to mothers with normal blood pressure. Pregnant women with hypertension had nearly a 40-fold higher risk of delivering low birth weight infants compared with women with normal blood pressure.