Low Birth Weight Infants

Low Birth Weight Infants

New Jersey is one of the richest states in the nation. One of its health indicators, low birth weight, places it in the same category as poor, impoverished countries. What is low birth weight? Why is it a concern? What can you do to prevent it?
Most infants are born at around 36 weeks and weigh about 3400 grams, or 7 lbs. Low birth weight infants are those who weigh 2500 or less grams, or about 5 ½ lbs. Very low birth weight infants weigh 1500 grams, or about 3.3 lbs. Extremely low birth weight infants weigh 1000 grams or less, or about 2.2 lbs. The low birth weight (LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW) or extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies are generally born between 23 and 32 weeks and spend time in a Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after delivery. In New Jersey, 7.7% of infants are born with low birth weight; in the African American community it is 13.1%.
With modern technology, even infants that weigh only a pound can be sustained and grow and develop. The lifetime 'cost' to them and their parents, however, can be enormous: seeing their baby tied up to machines in the NICU, or the infant not going home with the mother after delivery can be extremely stressful on the entire extended family. The financial cost to the community is also high: despite being a small fraction of live births (7.7% in New Jersey), low birth weight infants account for more than one-third of all dollars spent on health care for babies.
The infants that weigh less than 2500 grams or less are at a greater risk of death within the first month of life, as well as increased risk for developmental disabilities and illness throughout their life. Lifelong problems include chronic lung disease, adult-onset diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities, and psychological and emotional distress. Very low birth weight infants are also at higher risk for SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
What can a mom do to prevent low birth weight? There is general agreement among pediatricians, the March of Dimes, American Heart Association, and local and state health professionals that drinking, smoking and using drugs during pregnancy negatively impact the size and health of a newborn. Lack of pre-natal care and poor pre-natal nutritional habits also play a role. Some studies have also shown that having a previous low birth weight baby or multiple births, or unplanned pregnancy, and a mother being over 35 can contribute to having a low birth weight infant. There is also concern that environmental factors, stress, racism and poverty contribute to the terribly high rate, of 13.1% low birth weight infants, among African American mothers.
The goal of Healthy People 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guide to the best health for the nation, is 5% low birth weight infants within the total number of infants born every year. It is currently 11.6% in the United States, but there are at least three things every expectant mom can do to help reduce the numbers:
No drinking, smoking or using drugs during pregnancy
Healthy food during pregnancy
Regular pre-natal check-ups
Other ways of getting the best possible outcome for you and your infant are avoiding stress, developing relaxation techniques, and maintaining a health weight. An important element of pre-pregnancy is taking a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid every day, to avoid neural tube defects in your baby.
A pediatrician and former NJ Deputy Commissioner of Health, Dr. Leah Z. Ziskin, said, prevention is the best form of 'cure.'" Preventing your baby from being low birth weight is the one thing you can do so that both you and your infant are healthy and happy.