The Burden of Low Birth Weight among Children under Five in Indonesia: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Low Birth Weight (LBW) is a global health issue, including in Indonesia. LBW contributes to the loss of healthy life opportunities among children under five. This study aims to assess the burden and potential loss of healthy life opportunities among children under five due to LBW in Indonesia.

The study used a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 to analyze the burden of disease due to LBW in Indonesia.

The burden of disease among children under five in Indonesia has decreased compared to the previous year. However, it remains high and concentrated in eastern Indonesia. The burden of LBW is attributed to Years of Life Lost (YLLs) rather than Years Lived with Disability (YLDs), accounting for 99.11%. Infants under 28 days have higher Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) than other age groups, with 863,365 DALYs per 100,000 children under five (95% UI = 691,784.16–1,055,370.99), and boys have higher DALYs than girls. Most of the DALYs associated with LBW are caused by neonatal disorders, with a proportion of 94.27%. Nationally, LBW accounts for 69.68% of neonatal disorders. Nearly three million years of healthy life opportunities were lost due to LBW in 2021.

Low Birth Weight (LBW) is the leading contributor to DALYs among Indonesian children under five, with the highest burden in central and eastern regions, where healthcare access and service quality remain uneven.

LBW remains a significant issue in Indonesia. Many programs have been established to address this problem; however, they have not been implemented optimally and have yet to effectively resolve the issue. Developing and perfecting health programs with multisector collaboration should be prioritized to reduce the burden of LBW in Indonesia.