Success in Health
Low Birth Weight Babies in Allen County
 |  |
| Percent of low birth weight babies born in Allen County | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
| Total | 7.9% |
7.8% |
8.5% |
8.4% |
8.5% |
9.4% |
8.7% |
White |
7.1% |
7.0% |
7.4% |
7.2% |
7.3% |
8.5% |
7.9% |
Black |
12.2% |
12.4% |
14.5% |
15.3% |
15.9% |
14.3% |
13.3% |
| Translating to numbers: CRI-calculated total low weight births | 401 |
407 |
457 |
434 |
443 |
501 |
461 |
| Very low birth weight babies: | |||||||
| Very low birth weights are a subset of the low birth weight: | |||||||
| Percent of VERY low birth weight babies born: Total | 1.5% |
1.2% |
1.4% |
1.2% |
1.9% |
1.8% |
1.6% |
| Translating to numbers: CRI calculated total very low weight births | 76 |
63 |
75 |
62 |
99 |
96 |
85 |
Very Low Birth weight is a subset of Low Birth Rate
Low Birth Weight By Race In Allen County
Low birth weight affects about one in every 12 babies born in Allen County (1 out of 13 babies in the United States). It is a factor in 65 percent of infant deaths in the United States, but the statistics are much better for low weight babies born in Allen County. Low weight birth is not identified as one of the five leading causes of infant death in Allen County.
Low birth weight babies may face serious health problems as newborns, and are at increased risk of long-term disabilities. Children born with low birth weight are more likely than their peers to have special educational needs, poor school performance, and developmental delays. Advances in newborn medical care have greatly reduced the number of infant deaths associated with low birth weight, as well as the number of disabilities survivors of low birth weight often experience. Still, a small percentage of survivors are left with problems such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and impairments in lung function, sight, and hearing 1.
In Allen County, low birth weight babies born to black mothers occur at approximately twice the rate as low birth weight babies born to white mothers. For very low birth weight babies, this is closer to a three to one ratio. While all of the reasons for babies being born too small or too early, or both, are not known, there are some correlations. Multiple births are often born at low birth weight, and medical advances have made multiple births more common. For example, in the last twenty years (1980-2000), twin births have increased by 74 percent, and multiple births of three or more babies have increased fivefold 2. Fetal defects from genetic or environmental factors, as well as a mother’s medical condition may influence birth weight. The reasons for pre-term births, which often result in low birth weight babies, are not well understood. Nationally, statistics indicate that mothers under 17 have a higher risk of pre-term birth, as well as those having multiple births (those mothers are usually over age 30).
While more research is needed, expanded access to health care, preconception counseling and care, smoking cessation programs, and proper nutrition are strategies which reduce low birth weight births.
Definitions, Sources and Caveats:
Note: all data reported by mother’s place of residence, not place of infant’s birth.
Low Birth Weight defined:
low is less than 2,500 grams -- 2,500 grams is the equivalent of 5.51 pounds
very low is less than 1,500 grams -- 1,500 grams is the equivalent of 3.31 pounds.
Neonatal mortality is defined as those deaths that occur within the first 28 days of life.
Infant mortality is defined as those deaths that occur within the first year of life.
Other definitions: the early neonatal period: less than 7 days; post neonatal: after the first 28 days of life, but before the child reaches age one.
The prenatal period is the time from 28 weeks gestation to one week after birth.
Data is not readily available at a county level for races other than black and white, and would not be statistically significant at the very low birth weight cases due to the smaller numbers of births.
1. March of Dimes. Professionals and Researchers: Medical Reference: Low Birth weight.
http://www.modimes.org/professionals/681_1153.asp
2. Ibid. Multiples: Twins, Triplets, and Beyond.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_4545.asp
Other Readings: O’Brien, K. et al. “African American Teen Mothers have Greater Risk for Low Birth Weight and Premature Babies.” Press release found at: http://www.jhsph.edu/CHN/Resources/riskfactors.html and published in the The Journal of Pediatrics, August 2003. Major findings: There are a number of possible correlations that are either directly or casually related to higher pre-term births (and therefore low birth weight babies), such as the usually poor nutritional and health habits of teenagers, stress involved in being pregnant and unmarried, etc. This study found higher pre-term births in adolescents who did not gain adequate weight, did not have prenatal care, smoked, and had sexually transmitted diseases (which were quite common in the pregnant black teenagers in this study-20 percent had Chlamydia, 7 percent gonorrhea, and 30 percent had at least one vaginal infection during pregnancy).