Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Table 9.7 shows that only 2 percent of births are delivered by cesarean section. Caesareansections are more common among first births (3 percent), women residing in urban areas (4 percent),women in Lusaka (5 percent) and Copperbelt (3 percent), and women with higher than secondaryeducation (15 percent).Two and half kilogrammes is considered normal birth weight and babies weighing less than thatare regarded as small or low birth weight. The 2001-2002 ZDHS revealed that more than half (54 percent)of neonates are not weighed at birth. This may be explained by the low percentage of institutionaldeliveries. Five percent of all births are underweight, representing 11 percent of births for which a birthweight was recorded. Underweight births are more common among babies born to younger mothers(6 percent) and mothers delivering their first child (8 percent). Although it appears as if babies who weighless than 2.5 kg are more common in urban than in rural areas and among babies born of mothers withhigher education, this pattern disappears when only babies who were weighed are taken into account.Table 9.7 Delivery characteristicsPercentage of live births in the five years preceding the survey delivered by caesarean section (C-section), and percentdistribution by birth weight and by mother's estimate of baby's size at birth, according to background characteristics,Zambia 2001-2002–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Birth weightSize of child at birthDelivery –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––by Less Don’t Smaller Don't NumberBackground caesarean Not than 2.5 kg know/ Very than Average know/ ofcharacteristic section weighed 2.5 kg or more missing Total small average or larger missing Total births–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Mother's age at birth