Infants Born at Low Birth Weight in U.S. Cities with Populations over 100,000: 1990-2005

Overall, the percentage of infants born at low birth weight in U.S. cities and the nation as a whole has increased since 1990, however, this increase was less pronounced in U.S. cities. Low birth weight was more common among infants in cities than the population as a whole throughout this period. In 2005, 8.8 percent of infants in U.S. cities were born with a low birth weight compared to 8.2 percent of infants in the total U.S. population.

Source: Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, Ventura SJ, Menacker F, Kirmeyer S, Munson ML. Births: Final data for 2005. National vital statistics reports; vol 56 no 6. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2007.

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