Low Birthweight is the percentage of babies born weighing less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) at birth. Low birthweight was changed in this edition from a supplemental measure to a clinical care measure to be used as a proxy for clinical care during the prenatal period . Unlike the early prenatal care measure, direct state-to-state comparisons can be made and a national average can be calculated using the low birthweight data. Ranks are based on the most recently available birth certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System, NCHS, CDC.

Babies born with low birthweight are often born preterm or have inadequate growth for other reasons. Low birthweight may occur as a result of inadequate clinical care in the prenatal period. Through regular clinical visits, the health of the mother can be assessed, health risks can be identified and steps can be taken to improve the mother’s health. Low birthweight is associated with many characteristics of the mother such as smoking status, nutritional status and psychosocial problems.

In addition to being an indicator of the mother’s health and clinical care, low birthweight is itself a potential cause of future health problems for the baby. Low birthweight babies are more likely than babies of normal weight to have health problems during the newborn period. Serious medical problems are most common in babies born at very low birthweight and include respiratory distress syndrome; bleeding in the brain; patent ductus arteriosus, a heart problem common in premature babies; necrotizing enterocolitis, an intestinal problem that usually develops two to three weeks after birth; and retinopathy of prematurity, an abnormal growth of blood vessels in the eye that can lead to vision loss[1]-[2]. There may also be a connection between many chronic diseases in adulthood and low birthweight, including type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease[3]. Successful prevention strategies address these characteristics by[4]:

·         Expanding access to medical and dental services, taking a lifespan approach to health care

·         Focusing intensively on smoking prevention and cessation

·         Ensuring that pregnant women get adequate nutrition

·         Addressing demographic, social, and environmental risk factors