VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
In 2000, the rate of very low birth weight remained
virtually unchanged at 1.4 percent of live births
to U.S. women.
Although infants weighing less than 1500 grams (about
3.3 pounds) account for a small percentage of births,
they account for up to half of the deaths of newborns.
Approximately 25 percent of all infants weighing less
than 1500 grams die by age 1, compared to 2 percent
of infants born at 1,500-2,499 grams and 0.03 percent
of infants born at 2,500 grams or more.
Very low birth weight infants who survive are at
significantly increased risk of severe problems, including
physical and visual difficulties, developmental delays
and cognitive impairment requiring increased levels
of medical, educational and parental care.
The overall rate of very low birth weight among black
babies is nearly three times higher than that among
whites and is more than twice the rate for the total
birth population. This disparity is a major contributor
to the disparity in infant mortality rates between
black and white infants.
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