Nevertheless, low birth weight is a global concern, as
some high-income countries are also faced with high rates
for their contexts (e.g. Spain, the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland [UK] and the United States
of America [USA]) (3). Currently, a high percentage of
infants are not weighed at birth, especially in low-income
countries, presenting a significant policy challenge (see
Table 1). There is also substantial intra-country variation.
Population groups in the highest socioeconomic positions
are more likely to receive adequate health care with care
standards similar to those in high-income countries.
Therefore, identifying populations at greatest risk of low
birth weight, as well as those that are most likely to face
barriers in access to health and nutrition interventions, is a
global priority and fundamental for the success of largescale
programmes.