AN AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT – A CONCEPTUAL STUDY

Abstract

Low Birth Weight neonates are the neonates with birth weight less than 2500grams. In India 6-8 billion
LBWs are born annually.1Blending of concepts from Contemporary and Ayurvedic disciplines, in an
attempt to find solutions to problems of management of LBW is the need of the day. In this paper,
description of the conceptual basis for understanding Low Birth Weight based on literary survey and
analysis was presented. There is vast literature available in contemporary science about the aetiologies,
pathogenesis, physiological variations, management interventions etc. in LBWs’. Breast feeding is an
important asset against neonatal morbidities and mortalities in LBW’s, in developing countries.2
Among the available, contemporary breast feeding interventions there is a lacuna in understanding
measures to enhance the breast milk to suffice the greater nutritional demands of LBWs. In Ayurvedic
literature many measures are mentioned to cater to the needs of LBWs like measures to enhance breastmilk,
under the heading of stanya vardhak yogas.3However we do not find direct references of LBW in
Ayurveda. This study intends to fill in the lacunae of both the disciplines by knowledge integration,
hereby drawing out the likely Nidanapanchakas and Ayurvedic principles of management, for this
condition.