STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBER OF BABIES BORN, LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND MALNUTRITION IN SOUTH SUMATRA IN 2023

Abstract

Infant health is one of the main indicators used to assess the level of public health in a particular region. Infants born in healthy conditions have a greater opportunity to experience optimal growth and development, both physically, mentally, and socially. On the other hand, infants born with poor health conditions, such as low birth weight or malnutrition, have a higher risk of experiencing various health problems during their growth and development. Therefore, monitoring infant health from birth is very important as part of efforts to improve the overall quality of public health. This study aims to analyze statistical data on the number of live births, infants with low birth weight (LBW), and infants experiencing malnutrition in South Sumatra Province. The data used in this research were obtained from official publications issued by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS). The research method used is a quantitative method with a descriptive analytical approach utilizing secondary data. The collected data were analyzed through several stages, including data tabulation, percentage calculation, ratio analysis, and simple statistical interpretation. This analysis was conducted to determine the comparison between the number of live births and the number of infants with low birth weight and those experiencing malnutrition. Based on the results of the analysis, it was found that the total number of live births in South Sumatra Province reached 137,128 infants. Of this total, 2,288 infants were born with low birth weight and 6,749 infants experienced malnutrition. The ratio calculation shows that LBW cases account for approximately 1.67% of total births, while malnutrition cases account for about 4.92%. These findings indicate that although the number of births in South Sumatra Province is relatively high, there are still several issues related to infant health that require serious attention. Therefore, greater efforts are needed to improve maternal and child health. These efforts can be implemented through improving the quality of health services, ensuring adequate nutritional intake during pregnancy, and increasing public awareness of the importance of maintaining maternal and infant health from pregnancy through early childhood.