Definition:
Infants weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds) at birth are considered to be low birthweight. The low birthweight rate is the number of low birthweight births per 100 live births for which a birthweight is known. This rate is presented as a percentage for all age groups and the age group 10 through 19 years.
Infants born with less than 37 weeks gestation are premature births. The premature birth rate is the number of premature births per 100 live births for which gestation is known. This rate is presented as a percentage for women of all ages and the age group 10 through 19 years.
Significance:
Low birthweight is a major cause of infant mortality and increases an infant's chances for dying in infancy. Low birthweight infants, especially infants born to teen mothers, are at risk for health problems such as blindness, deafness, mental retardation, mental illness, and cerebral palsy (Alexander, 2004). As the birthweight decreases, children have a greater likelihood of these outcomes (Hack, Klein, & Taylor, 1995). Ten percent of all health care costs for children can be attributed to low birthweight (Lewit et al., 1995).
Preterm delivery underlies most low birthweight births. While the etiology of preterm birth remains unknown, several factors are associated with preterm and low birthweight births. Lifestyle behaviors - such as cigarette smoking, insufficient weight gain or nutritional intake during pregnancy and use of other drugs - are known risk factors. Socioeconomic disadvantage is also closely related to low birthweight. Mothers who are young, have less than a high school education and are not married are at the greatest risk of low socioeconomic status and delivering low birthweight babies (Chomitz, Cheung & Lieberman, 1995).
Healthy People 2010 objectives call for a national reduction in the incidence of low birthweight to no more than 5.0 percent of live births by year 2010 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). The New York State Public Health Council has identified healthy births as a priority area for public health action and has set an objective to reduce low birthweight births to no more than 5.5 percent by 2006 (New York State Public Health Council, 1996).
Findings:
The percentage of low birthweight births in New York State has increased slightly over the past five years. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, some reasons for the higher percentage of low birthweight births are increases in multiple births, cesarean deliveries and births to women of higher maternal age. In 2006, 20,756 babies born in New York State weighed less than 2,500 grams (8.3% of all births with a known weight). Of babies born to women in the 10 to 19 age group, 10.4 percent were born weighing less than 2,500 grams. These percentages fall short of state and national objectives.
In 2006, low birthweight birth rates for all births were higher in New York City (8.8%) than in Rest of State (7.9%). Of babies born to women in the 10 to 19 age group, the rate for New York City (10.4%) was slightly higher than Rest of State (10.3%).
Preterm births accounted for 12.5 percent of all births in New York State in 2006. This is an increase over the 11.1 percent in 2000. The 2006 New York City rate, at 13.1 percent, was higher that the 12.0 percent rate in Rest of State.
Among women ages 10 through 19, 14.5 percent gave birth prematurely in 2006. This is similar to the percent that delivered prematurely in 2000. In New York City, in 2006, 15.0 percent of women in this age group had premature births as compared to 14.0 percent in Rest of State.
References:
Alexander, M.D. 2004. Child Health: Birth Outcomes and Infant Mortality. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health.
Chomitz, V., L. Cheung and E. Lieberman. 1995. "The Role of Lifestyle in Preventing Low Birthweight." The Future of Children. 5(1):121-138.
Hack, M., N. Klein and H. Taylor. 1995. "Long-Term Developmental Outcomes of Low Birthweight Infants." The Future of Children. 5(1):176-196.
Lewit, E., L. Baker, H. Corman, and P. Shiono. 1995. "The Direct Cost of Low Birthweight." The Future of Children. 5(1):35-56.
New York State Public Health Council. 1996. Communities Working for a Healthier New York. Albany, NY: New York State Public Health Council.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2000. Healthy People 2010 (Conference Edition in Two Volumes). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
KWIC
Indicator(s) and Narrative For: