According to figures out this morning, Portugal ranks fifth out of the 42 member states where more babies are born with a weight lower than 2.5 kilograms.

The number of underweight babies being born in Portugal has risen by 59 percent since 1990 and is attributed to delayed maternity along with ethnic and genetic factors.

The only countries where the proportion of underweight newborn is higher than Portugal are Indonesia, Columbia, Japan and Greece.