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Low birth weight (LBW) is defined by the World Health Organization as a birth weight of an infant of 2,499 g (5 lb 8.1 oz) or less, regardless of gestational age. [1] Infants born with LBW have added health risks which require close management, often in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
In 2008 the rate of low birth weight was the highest in babies born to women younger than 15 years old (12.4%). [23] Women aged 40–54 had a rate of low birth weight at 11.8 percent. The lowest rates of low birth weight happened among babies whose mothers were between the ages of 25–29 years (4.4%) and 30–34 years (7.6%). [23]
The low birth-weight paradox is an apparently paradoxical observation relating to the birth weights and mortality rate of children born to tobacco smoking mothers. Low birth-weight children born to smoking mothers have a lower infant mortality rate than the low birth weight children of non-smokers.
For example, with a 35-week gestational age delivery, a weight of 2,250 g (4 lb 15 oz) is appropriate for gestational age but is still low birth weight. One third of low-birth-weight neonates – infants weighing less than 2,500 g (5 lb 8 oz) – are small for gestational age. [citation needed] There is an 8.1% incidence of low birth weight in ...
At least 60% of the 4 million neonatal deaths that occur worldwide every year are associated with low birth weight (LBW), caused by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm delivery, and genetic abnormalities, [7] demonstrating that under-nutrition is already a leading health problem at birth.
The Mexican paradox is the observation that Mexicans exhibit a surprisingly low incidence of low birth weight (especially foreign-born Mexican mothers [1]), contrary to what would be expected from their socioeconomic status (SES). This appears as an outlier in graphs correlating SES with low-birth-weight rates. The medical causes of lower rates ...
As weight is easier to determine than gestational age, the World Health Organization tracks rates of low birth weight (< 2,500 grams), which occurred in 16.5% of births in less developed regions in 2000. [205] It is estimated that one third of these low birth weight deliveries are due to preterm delivery.
Low birth weight, the leading cause of infant deaths, is preventable by effective programs to help prevent low birth weight are a combination of health care, education, the environment, mental modification, [clarify] and public policy. [45] Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths worldwide. [46]