PD113 - TRANSFORMING BIRTH OUTCOMES IN URBAN SLUMS - EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED NUTRITION COUNSELLING IN REDUCING LOW BIRTH WEIGHT – A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

PD113

TRANSFORMING BIRTH OUTCOMES IN URBAN SLUMS - EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED NUTRITION COUNSELLING IN REDUCING LOW BIRTH WEIGHT – A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

R. Singh^1,*, D. P. Singh²

¹Community Nutritionist, Nutritionpunch, ²Prof . Community Medicine, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences., Lucknow, India

Rationale: Transforming Birth Outcomes in Urban Slums - Effectiveness of Community-Based Nutrition Counselling in Reducing Low Birth Weight  A Prospective Cohort Study

Methods: A prospective community based cohort study was conducted among 464 pregnant women enrolled at ≤20 weeks of gestation. Baseline assessment included dietary practices and socio-demographic characteristics.The intervention comprised structured nutrition counselling delivered by trained community health workers,focusing on improving dietary diversity, meal adequacy & addressing cultural food beliefs using locally available foods. Participants were followed until delivery &  birth outcomes were recorded

Results: At baseline, mean birthweight was 2.80 kg, with a low birth weight (LBW) prevalence of 32%. Following the intervention, mean birthweight increased to 2.93 kg (+0.13 kg). LBW prevalence declined to 21%, representing an absolute risk reduction of 11 % points & a relative reduction of approximately 34.4%.These findings indicate a clinically meaningful improvement in fetal growth outcomes associated with counselling-driven behavioural changes.

Reduction in Low Birth Weight (LBW) Prevalence A substantial decline in LBW prevalence (32% → 21%) reflects a strong population-level effect of counselling-driven intervention.

LBW Prevalence (%)
Baseline 32%
Post 21%  

Improvement in Mean Birthweight  Interpretation A +0.13 kg increase in mean birthweight is clinically meaningful in high-risk populations and reflects improved fetal growth trajectories. Mean Birthweight (kg)
Baseline 2.80
Post  2.93

Conclusion: Community-based nutrition counselling is an effective and scalable strategy for improving birth outcomes in resource-constrained urban settings. Integrating structured, culturally appropriate counselling into antenatal care systems can significantly reduce LBW burden in vulnerable populations.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared