KARACHI, Sept 14: 25 per cent of the estimated 500,000 babies born in Karachi each year are registered to be low-weight, thus vulnerable to a wide range of complications and often required to be placed at well equipped neonatal care units.

Dr S.M. Afaq, Deputy Director National Institute of Child Health (NICH), talking to APP here on Saturday, cited improper antenatal care, anaemia, smoking on the part of would-be mothers or exposure of them to cigarette smoke as some of the causes.

These infants are consequently at high risk of respiratory infections, haemorrhage, inability to maintain body temperature compounded with enhanced chances to mental and physical growth retardation, besides even death.

“50 percent of the babies admitted at the NICH in 2001 were low birth weight, including 74 who weighed less than one Kg,” Dr Afaq said and added that specialised care was not only very costly but also needed trained manpower, and here again support from philanthropists was required.—APP