Low Birth Weight in North Carolina

North Carolina

Low birth weight infants (weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth) are at increased risk of several short- and long-term complications. Low birth weight and preterm birth are leading causes of infant mortality. There are two categories of low birth weight infants: moderately low birth weight infants (between 1,500 and 2,499 grams at birth) and very low birth weight infants (less than 1,500 grams at birth). 

Low birth weight infants are more susceptible to health problems, including heart problems, breathing problems, bleeding in the brain, intestinal disorders and retinopathy, which affects eye development. They are also more likely to develop certain health conditions later in life, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and cerebral palsy.

The most common causes of low birth weight are premature birth (earlier than 37 weeks of gestation) and restricted fetal growth. 

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of having a low birth weight is higher among infants born to:

• Non-Hispanic Black women, who have a prevalence twice that of non-Hispanic white women.
• Teenagers and women age 40 and older compared with women ages 20-39.
• Women with less than a high school education compared with women who have a college degree.

Additional studies have found that having a low birth weight infant is more common among:

• Women who receive inadequate prenatal care. Prenatal care can help identify health risks and the steps needed to improve a woman’s health before giving birth. 
• Women who smoke or drink alcohol during pregnancy.
• Women with medical risk factors such as chronic health conditions, infections, certain medications, placental problems, history of preterm birth, inadequate weight gain during pregnancy and being pregnant with multiples (e.g., twins or triplets).

Key strategies for reducing the incidence of low birth weight and related preterm birth complications include:

• Ensuring pregnant women have access to early, comprehensive prenatal care, which allows providers to screen for chronic conditions, assess nutritional and psychosocial needs, manage infection risks and deliver preventive interventions.
• Ensuring pregnant women have access to balanced nutrition to achieve healthy gestational weight gain, which is critical for fetal development. Pregnant women should also avoid using alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs during the duration of their pregnancy.
• Expanding doula services.
• Minimizing exposure to extreme heat and air pollutants, such as fine particulate matter.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to pregnancy and childbirth, including reducing preterm births and reducing infant mortality.

Thorsen, Maggie L., Andreas Thorsen, and Ronald McGarvey. “Operational Efficiency, Patient Composition and Regional Context of U.S. Health Centers: Associations with Access to Early Prenatal Care and Low Birth Weight.” Social Science & Medicine 226 (April 2019): 143–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.02.043.