Validation of accuracy and community acceptance of the BIRTHweigh III scale for categorizing newborn weight in rural India

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy and acceptability of a handheld scale prototype designed for nonliterate users to classify newborns into three weight categories (≥2500 g; 2000 to 2499 g; and <2000 g). Study Design: Weights of 1100 newborns in Uttar Pradesh, India, were measured on the test scale and validated against a gold standard. Mothers, family members and community health stakeholders were interviewed to assess the acceptability of the test scale. Result: The test scale was highly sensitive and specific at classifying newborn weight (normal weight: 95.3 and 96.3%, respectively; low birth weight: 90.4 and 99.2%, respectively; very low birth weight: 91.7 and 98.4%, respectively). It was the overall agreement of the community that the test scale was more practical and easier to interpret than the gold standard. Conclusion: The BIRTHweigh III scale accurately identifies low birth weight and very low birth weight newborns to target weight-specific interventions. The scale is extremely practical and useful for resourcepoor settings, especially those with low levels of literacy.