<![CDATA[Background: Low birth weight (LBW) remains a major global public health problem, affecting approximately 14.7% of live births worldwide and contributing to nearly half of all neonatal deaths, making it one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Maternal chronic energy deficiency (CED) during pregnancy reflects prolonged inadequate nutritional status that may impair fetal growth and increase the risk of LBW. This study aimed to examine the association between a history of CED during pregnancy and the occurrence of LBW in Bandung Regency, Indonesia. Method: A retrospective case–control study was conducted in Bandung Regency, Indonesia, using delivery records from January to April 2025. The study included 80 mothers (40 LBW cases and 40 controls) selected through purposive sampling. CED was defined as a pre-pregnancy or early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m². Data were obtained from maternal health records at primary health centers and analyzed using the Chi-square test and odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval to determine the association between CED and LBW. Result: The analysis showed a significant association between a history of chronic energy deficiency during pregnancy and the incidence of low birth weight (p = 0.001). Mothers with chronic energy deficiency had a 7.36-fold higher risk of delivering low birth weight infants compared to mothers without chronic energy deficiency (OR = 7.364; 95% CI = 2.204–24.602). Conclusion : CED during pregnancy is significantly associated with LBW. Early identification of maternal nutritional status through BMI assessment and strengthened nutritional interventions at primary health care level are essential to prevent LBW.]]>
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