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Incidence of Underweight Babies Rises in United States
June 13, 2008 07:01 AM
The percentage of babies born with low birth weights in the United States is the highest it’s been in 40 years, according to a report on child health and well-being.
30-Second Summary
The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its annual Kids Count report, which measures child health and well-being around the United States in 10 categories. The latest report indicates that conditions have largely improved for teens, but babies haven’t fared so well.
Particularly troubling is the rise in the number of underweight infants being born. Underweight babies are defined as those weighing less than 5.5 pounds. Low-birth-weight babies have a higher risk of dying in infancy or experiencing a long-term disability.
Researchers have recently determined that underweight babies also have an increased chance of being autistic.
Kids Count Coordinator Laura Beavers said the change noted in this year’s report is due to several factors, including a higher number of multiples pregnancies, a mother’s general health during pregnancy and her access to good prenatal care.
Because very small babies face unique health risks, health scientist Diana Schendel says the need to closely monitor these children for health and behavioral problems becomes especially important.
Particularly troubling is the rise in the number of underweight infants being born. Underweight babies are defined as those weighing less than 5.5 pounds. Low-birth-weight babies have a higher risk of dying in infancy or experiencing a long-term disability.
Researchers have recently determined that underweight babies also have an increased chance of being autistic.
Kids Count Coordinator Laura Beavers said the change noted in this year’s report is due to several factors, including a higher number of multiples pregnancies, a mother’s general health during pregnancy and her access to good prenatal care.
Because very small babies face unique health risks, health scientist Diana Schendel says the need to closely monitor these children for health and behavioral problems becomes especially important.
Headline Link: Child well-being results
The United States ranked second from the bottom in a recent UNICEF study of child well-being in 33 industrialized countries. The country was 29th in terms of babies born with low birth weight.
Source: Baltimore Sun
Related Topics: Underweight risks; multiples pregnancies
Risks of low birth weight
New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that low-birth-weigh girls have a particularly high risk of being autistic. Scientists aren’t sure why being born small or premature could lead to autism, so it could take some time before this information can be used to benefit patients.
Source: U.S. News & World Report
University of Leeds researchers may have found a marker for pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition in pregnancy that threatens both mother and child. The risks associated with pre-eclampsia include restriction of the baby’s growth, low birth weight and premature birth.
Source: findingDulcinea
Multiples pregnancies
Whether through assisted reproduction or family history, the number of parents raising multiples (twins or greater) has risen greatly over the years. In fact, some families have “multiple multiples,” according to the Chicago Daily Herald.
Source: Chicago Daily Herald
Reference: Kids Count Information, Pregnancy Resources
The Kids Count report contains measures of child well-being in 10 categories, but the Annie E. Casey Foundation has data for more than 100 different factors. See the statistics for individual states and several U.S. cities in the Kids Count Data Center.
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Use the findingDulcinea Pregnancy Web Guide to find some of the best online resources for learning about conception, prenatal care, childbirth and other pregnancy-related matters.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2010 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
