Abstract
The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between vulnerability at birth, represented by the variable low birth weight, and selected variables, such as real GDP per capita and an indicator of the Bolsa Família Program coverage, in addition to municipal indicators about maternal characteristics that involve age, number of prenatal checkups, race, marital status and years of education. These indicators were obtained from microdata of all newborns from each municipality in the Brazilian territory registered in the Information System on Live Births (SINASC). The results found suggest that the main causes of LBW for the sample considered refer to the municipality having a lower real GDP per capita, higher Bolsa Família Program coverage, higher proportion of mothers under 19 and over 39 years old and greater proportion of mothers who had up to three prenatal checkups. It is concluded that public policies that help increase family income, encourage prenatal care and lead to preventing teenage pregnancy can contribute to reducing the incidence of low birth weight.
Keywords:
Low birth weight; Socioeconomic indicators; Bolsa Família Program