Complete Health Indicator Report of Low Birth Weight
Definition
The number of live births under 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) divided by the total number of live births over the same time period.Numerator
Number of live born infants weighing under 2,500 grams.Denominator
Total number of live births.Why Is This Important?
As birth weight decreases, the risk for death increases. Low birth weight (LBW) infants who survive often require intensive care at birth and are at risk for many health problems including delayed motor and social development or learning disabilities.Healthy People Objective MICH-8.1:
Reduce low birth weight (LBW)U.S. Target: 7.8 percent
State Target: 6.7 percent
How Are We Doing?
The Utah low birth weight percentage has remained relatively steady from 2010-2020 from 7.0% in 2010 to 7.06% in 2020.How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Nationally, the percentage of low birth weight births has remained essentially unchanged at around 8.2% since 2007. The Utah low birth weight rate in 2020 is approximately 14.9% lower than the national low birth weight rate.What Is Being Done?
In an effort to reduce the low birth weight rate, emphasis has been placed on promoting preconception health to encourage women to be at optimal health at the time of conception as chronic health conditions, physical, emotional, and behavioral health issues can have a strong impact on the developing fetus. Chronic maternal diseases such as hypertension and diabetes should be diagnosed and optimally managed prior to conception. Optimal weight in women of reproductive age prior to pregnancy should be encouraged as both maternal underweight and obesity are associated with low birth weight infants. Promotion of optimal pregnancy spacing is also important as short interpregnancy intervals (< 18 months) are associated with low birth weight infants. Programs to reduce tobacco use during pregnancy have been developed and are being implemented in many Utah local health departments. The Utah Department of Health has implemented the "Power Your Life" campaign to reach women of reproductive age about the importance of being healthy prior to pregnancy to improve outcomes. The centerpiece of the campaign is the Power Your Life website at [http://poweryourlife.org/]. Women are also encouraged to seek early and continuous care throughout their pregnancies and to achieve an adequate weight gain during pregnancy. All women should receive a thorough formal risk assessment at their initial prenatal visit, with updates throughout pregnancy to identify risk factors for low birth weight and develop appropriate interventions, if needed. Additionally, all women should be educated regarding the urgent maternal warning signs and the importance of fetal kick counts to facilitate early recognition of problems to permit earlier intervention, thereby improving pregnancy outcomes. Standards for assisted reproductive technology should be adhered to in order to reduce the frequency of higher-order multiple pregnancies and to assure optimal outcomes. Women should be at optimal health and be at low risk before undergoing infertility treatment. Pregnant women also need appropriate referrals to services such as Women, Infant and Children's (WIC), and nutritional and psychosocial counseling for at-risk women.Available Services
'''Power Your Life:''' [http://www.poweryourlife.org][[br]] Public education about how to be at optimal health prior to pregnancy.[[br]] [[br]] Social media for Power Your Life include:[[br]] *Facebook: [http://www.facebook.com/poweryourlifeutah][[br]] *Twitter: @Poweryourlife2[[br]] *Pinterest: [http://www.pinterest.com/poweryourlifeut][[br]] [[br]] '''Utah Tobacco Quit Line:''' 1-800-784-8669[[br]] En espanol: Llame 1-877-629-1585[[br]] Free professional coaching to guide you through the quitting process. '''Baby Your Baby:''' 1-800-826-9662[[br]] [http://www.babyyourbaby.org][[br]] A resource to answer pregnancy related questions and and locate services for the public. '''MotherToBaby:'''[[br]] Phone - 1-800-822-2229[[br]] Text - 1-855-999-3525[[br]] Email - expertinfo@mothertobaby.org[[br]] A service to answer questions about what's safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.[[br]] [[br]] Social media for MotherToBaby include:[[br]] *Facebook: [http://www.facebook.com/MotherToBaby][[br]] *Twitter: @MotherToBaby[[br]] *Pinterest: [http://www.pinterest.com/MotherToBaby][[br]] [[br]] '''Baby Watch Early Intervention Hotline:'''[[br]] 1-801-273-2998 (Main)[[br]] 1-800-961-4226 (Toll free)[[br]] Utah network of services for children, birth to three years of age, with developmental delay or disabilities. '''University of Utah Health Care Parent-to-Parent Support Group:''' 1-801-581-2098[[br]] Support program for families of high risk/critically ill newborns.Related Indicators
Relevant Population Characteristics
Data show the following population subgroups at higher risk of having a low birth weight infant: *Maternal age (mothers younger than 19 and older than 35) *Race (Utah mothers who were Black or African American or Asian had higher rates of low birth weight compared to the state rate) *Lower educational attainment (less than college education) *Being unmarriedRelated Relevant Population Characteristics Indicators:
Related Health Care System Factors Indicators:
Risk Factors
Data show the following risk factors contribute to having a low birth weight infant: *Preterm births *Multiple gestation (e.g. twins) *A pre-pregnancy BMI of underweight or obese *Inadequate weight gain during pregnancy *Tobacco use during pregnancyRelated Risk Factors Indicators:
Health Status Outcomes
The following outcomes are related to low birth weight infants: *Health problems (including abnormal growth and infant death) *Costs associated with low birth weight births, premature births, and maternal and infant mortality and morbidityRelated Health Status Outcomes Indicators:
Graphical Data Views
Low Birth Weight by County, Utah, 2016-2020, and U.S., 2019
| County | Percentage of Live Born Infants | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 31 | ||||||
| Beaver | 7.8% | 5.6% | 10.5% | |||
| Box Elder | 7.5% | 6.7% | 8.4% | |||
| Cache | 6.4% | 6.0% | 6.9% | |||
| Carbon | 11.1% | 9.4% | 13.1% | |||
| Daggett | ** | ** | ||||
| Davis | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.4% | |||
| Duchesne | 8.1% | 6.8% | 9.5% | |||
| Emery | 6.0% | 4.3% | 8.4% | |||
| Garfield | 8.9% | 5.9% | 13.0% | |||
| Grand | 6.0% | 4.1% | 8.5% | |||
| Iron | 7.6% | 6.8% | 8.4% | |||
| Juab | 5.7% | 4.3% | 7.4% | |||
| Kane | 6.0% | 4.0% | 8.9% | |||
| Millard | 8.4% | 6.8% | 10.4% | |||
| Morgan | 6.4% | 4.8% | 8.5% | |||
| Piute | 5.5% | 1.8% | 14.2% | * | ||
| Rich | 7.6% | 4.2% | 13.2% | |||
| Salt Lake | 7.7% | 7.5% | 7.8% | |||
| San Juan | 6.9% | 5.4% | 8.7% | |||
| Sanpete | 8.4% | 7.2% | 9.8% | |||
| Sevier | 7.3% | 6.0% | 8.8% | |||
| Summit | 8.5% | 7.3% | 9.8% | |||
| Tooele | 7.9% | 7.2% | 8.7% | |||
| Uintah | 8.4% | 7.4% | 9.5% | |||
| Utah | 6.5% | 6.3% | 6.7% | |||
| Wasatch | 6.3% | 5.3% | 7.4% | |||
| Washington | 6.7% | 6.2% | 7.2% | |||
| Wayne | 10.1% | 6.0% | 16.4% | |||
| Weber | 7.7% | 7.3% | 8.1% | |||
| State | 7.2% | 7.1% | 7.3% | |||
| U.S. | 8.3% | 2019 Final | ||||
Data Notes
Low birth weight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). [[br]] [[br]] Note: County represents county of mother's residence. [[br]] [[br]] *Use caution when interpreting. The estimate has a coefficient of variation >30% and is therefore deemed unreliable by Utah Department of Health standards. [[br]] [[br]] **The estimate has been suppressed because 1) the relative standard error is greater than 50% or the relative standard error can't be determined, or 2) the observed number of events is very small and not appropriate for publication. [[br]] [[br]] 2019 U.S. rate is final.Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Low Birth Weight by Local Health District, Utah, 2020 and U.S., 2019
| Local Health District | Percentage of Live Born Infants | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 15 | ||||||
| Bear River | 5.3% | 4.5% | 6.2% | |||
| Central | 3.6% | 2.4% | 5.2% | |||
| Davis County | 6.7% | 5.7% | 7.7% | |||
| Salt Lake County | 7.8% | 7.5% | 8.2% | |||
| San Juan | ** | ** | ||||
| Southeast | 6.7% | 4.4% | 10.0% | |||
| Southwest | 6.6% | 5.8% | 7.5% | |||
| Summit | 2.4% | 1.1% | 4.8% | * | ||
| Tooele | 3.7% | 2.4% | 5.8% | |||
| TriCounty | 6.4% | 4.9% | 8.5% | |||
| Utah County | 7.0% | 6.5% | 7.5% | |||
| Wasatch | 5.1% | 2.7% | 9.3% | * | ||
| Weber-Morgan | 7.3% | 6.6% | 8.1% | |||
| State of Utah | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.3% | |||
| U.S. | 8.3% | 2019 Final | ||||
Data Notes
Low birth weight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). [[br]] [[br]] Note: Local health district represents district of mother's residence. [[br]] [[br]] *Use caution when interpreting. The estimate has a coefficient of variation >30% and is therefore deemed unreliable by Utah Department of Health standards. [[br]] [[br]] **The estimate has been suppressed because 1) the relative standard error is greater than 50% or the relative standard error can't be determined, or 2) the observed number of events is very small and not appropriate for publication. [[br]] [[br]] 2019 U.S. rate is final.Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Low Birth Weight by Utah Small Area, 2016-2020, and U.S., 2019
| Utah Small Areas | Percentage of Live Born Infants | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 101 | ||||||
| Brigham City | 6.6% | 5.5% | 7.9% | |||
| Box Elder Co (Other) V2 | 7.4% | 5.8% | 9.6% | |||
| Tremonton | 8.3% | 7.0% | 9.8% | |||
| Logan V2 | 6.9% | 6.2% | 7.7% | |||
| North Logan | 5.5% | 4.6% | 6.6% | |||
| Cache (Other)/Rich (All) V2 | 7.2% | 6.0% | 8.6% | |||
| Hyrum | 6.0% | 4.5% | 7.9% | |||
| Smithfield | 5.2% | 4.0% | 6.6% | |||
| Ben Lomond | 8.3% | 7.5% | 9.1% | |||
| Weber County (East) | 6.0% | 5.1% | 7.1% | |||
| Morgan County | 6.2% | 4.6% | 8.3% | |||
| Ogden (Downtown) | 8.2% | 7.3% | 9.3% | |||
| South Ogden | 7.6% | 6.7% | 8.7% | |||
| Roy/Hooper | 7.7% | 6.9% | 8.7% | |||
| Riverdale | 7.3% | 6.2% | 8.6% | |||
| Clearfield Area/Hooper | 7.3% | 6.6% | 8.0% | |||
| Layton/South Weber | 7.4% | 6.7% | 8.0% | |||
| Kaysville/Fruit Heights | 7.4% | 6.4% | 8.6% | |||
| Syracuse | 6.9% | 5.8% | 8.2% | |||
| Centerville | 6.9% | 5.5% | 8.5% | |||
| Farmington | 5.8% | 4.7% | 7.1% | |||
| North Salt Lake | 6.5% | 5.5% | 7.8% | |||
| Woods Cross/West Bountiful | 8.0% | 6.6% | 9.8% | |||
| Bountiful | 6.5% | 5.8% | 7.4% | |||
| SLC (Rose Park) | 7.1% | 6.2% | 8.2% | |||
| SLC (Avenues) | 6.8% | 5.4% | 8.6% | |||
| SLC (Foothill/East Bench) | 6.6% | 5.4% | 8.1% | |||
| Magna | 8.4% | 7.3% | 9.6% | |||
| SLC (Glendale) V2 | 8.4% | 7.2% | 9.7% | |||
| West Valley (Center) | 8.1% | 7.3% | 9.0% | |||
| West Valley (West) V2 | 8.2% | 7.1% | 9.4% | |||
| West Valley (East) V2 | 7.8% | 7.0% | 8.6% | |||
| SLC (Downtown) V2 | 9.6% | 8.2% | 11.1% | |||
| SLC (Southeast Liberty) | 6.5% | 5.2% | 8.2% | |||
| South Salt Lake | 8.0% | 6.9% | 9.3% | |||
| SLC (Sugar House) | 6.6% | 5.6% | 7.8% | |||
| Millcreek (South) | 7.1% | 5.8% | 8.7% | |||
| Millcreek (East) | 5.7% | 4.6% | 7.0% | |||
| Holladay V2 | 7.8% | 6.6% | 9.4% | |||
| Cottonwood | 6.3% | 5.4% | 7.4% | |||
| Kearns V2 | 8.8% | 7.9% | 9.9% | |||
| Taylorsville (E)/Murray (W) | 9.0% | 8.0% | 10.2% | |||
| Taylorsville (West) | 7.8% | 6.9% | 8.9% | |||
| Murray | 8.5% | 7.5% | 9.6% | |||
| Midvale | 7.6% | 6.6% | 8.6% | |||
| West Jordan (Northeast) V2 | 7.8% | 6.8% | 9.0% | |||
| West Jordan (Southeast) | 8.2% | 7.2% | 9.3% | |||
| West Jordan (W)/Copperton | 6.8% | 6.0% | 7.7% | |||
| South Jordan V2 | 7.4% | 6.4% | 8.5% | |||
| Daybreak | 6.5% | 5.6% | 7.6% | |||
| Sandy (West) | 7.9% | 6.8% | 9.2% | |||
| Sandy (Center) V2 | 6.3% | 5.3% | 7.5% | |||
| Sandy (Northeast) | 9.3% | 7.8% | 11.1% | |||
| Sandy (Southeast) | 7.6% | 6.3% | 9.2% | |||
| Draper | 7.6% | 6.7% | 8.7% | |||
| Riverton/Bluffdale | 7.3% | 6.5% | 8.2% | |||
| Herriman | 6.8% | 6.2% | 7.5% | |||
| Tooele County (Other) | 7.5% | 6.1% | 9.3% | |||
| Tooele Valley | 8.0% | 7.2% | 8.9% | |||
| Eagle Mountain/Cedar Valley | 6.2% | 5.5% | 6.9% | |||
| Lehi | 6.7% | 6.1% | 7.3% | |||
| Saratoga Springs | 6.3% | 5.5% | 7.2% | |||
| American Fork | 6.2% | 5.4% | 7.0% | |||
| Alpine | 5.3% | 3.6% | 7.5% | |||
| Pleasant Grove/Lindon | 6.6% | 5.9% | 7.3% | |||
| Orem (North) | 7.2% | 6.5% | 8.1% | |||
| Orem (West) | 6.7% | 6.0% | 7.4% | |||
| Orem (East) | 6.8% | 5.7% | 8.0% | |||
| Provo/BYU | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.4% | |||
| Provo (West City Center) | 6.1% | 5.4% | 6.9% | |||
| Provo (East City Center) | 6.3% | 5.5% | 7.2% | |||
| Salem City | 5.9% | 4.3% | 8.1% | |||
| Spanish Fork | 7.5% | 6.7% | 8.4% | |||
| Springville | 6.4% | 5.6% | 7.3% | |||
| Mapleton | 8.2% | 6.3% | 10.6% | |||
| Utah County (South) V2 | 5.8% | 4.7% | 7.2% | |||
| Payson | 8.1% | 7.1% | 9.3% | |||
| Park City | 9.1% | 7.6% | 11.0% | |||
| Summit County (East) | 7.4% | 5.8% | 9.4% | |||
| Wasatch County | 6.4% | 5.4% | 7.5% | |||
| Daggett and Uintah County | 8.2% | 7.3% | 9.3% | |||
| Duchesne County | 8.2% | 7.0% | 9.7% | |||
| Nephi/Mona | 5.2% | 3.9% | 7.0% | |||
| Delta/Fillmore | 7.4% | 5.7% | 9.6% | |||
| Sanpete Valley | 7.4% | 6.0% | 9.0% | |||
| Central (Other) | 9.1% | 7.7% | 10.7% | |||
| Richfield/Monroe/Salina | 7.5% | 6.0% | 9.3% | |||
| Carbon County | 11.4% | 9.6% | 13.4% | |||
| Emery County | 6.0% | 4.3% | 8.3% | |||
| Grand County | 6.0% | 4.2% | 8.6% | |||
| Blanding/Monticello | 6.8% | 4.8% | 9.6% | |||
| San Juan County (Other) | 5.3% | 3.3% | 8.4% | |||
| St. George | 6.9% | 6.3% | 7.6% | |||
| Washington Co (Other) V2 | 7.3% | 5.5% | 9.6% | |||
| Washington City | 6.1% | 5.0% | 7.4% | |||
| Hurricane/La Verkin | 6.7% | 5.6% | 8.1% | |||
| Ivins/Santa Clara | 6.3% | 4.8% | 8.3% | |||
| Cedar City | 7.5% | 6.7% | 8.4% | |||
| Southwest LHD (Other) | 7.3% | 6.1% | 8.8% | |||
| State of Utah | 7.2% | 7.1% | 7.3% | |||
| U.S. | 8.3% | 2019 | ||||
Data Notes
Low birth weight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). [[br]] [[br]]Note: Utah Small Area represents area of mother's residence. [[br]] [[br]]A description of the Utah Small Areas may be found on IBIS at the following URL: [https://ibis.health.utah.gov/resource/Guidelines.html]. [[br]] [[br]]2018 U.S. rate is final.Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Low Birth Weight by Year, Utah and U.S., 2000-2020
| Utah vs. U.S. | Year | Percentage of Live Born Infants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 41 | ||||||
| Utah | 2000 | 6.6% | ||||
| Utah | 2001 | 6.4% | ||||
| Utah | 2002 | 6.5% | ||||
| Utah | 2003 | 6.6% | ||||
| Utah | 2004 | 6.6% | ||||
| Utah | 2005 | 6.8% | ||||
| Utah | 2006 | 6.9% | ||||
| Utah | 2007 | 6.7% | ||||
| Utah | 2008 | 6.8% | ||||
| Utah | 2009 | 7.0% | ||||
| Utah | 2010 | 7.0% | ||||
| Utah | 2011 | 6.9% | ||||
| Utah | 2012 | 6.9% | ||||
| Utah | 2013 | 7.0% | ||||
| Utah | 2014 | 7.0% | ||||
| Utah | 2015 | 7.0% | ||||
| Utah | 2016 | 7.2% | ||||
| Utah | 2017 | 7.2% | ||||
| Utah | 2018 | 7.2% | ||||
| Utah | 2019 | 7.4% | ||||
| Utah | 2020 | 7.1% | ||||
| U.S. | 2000 | 7.6% | ||||
| U.S. | 2001 | 7.7% | ||||
| U.S. | 2002 | 7.8% | ||||
| U.S. | 2003 | 7.9% | ||||
| U.S. | 2004 | 8.1% | ||||
| U.S. | 2005 | 8.2% | ||||
| U.S. | 2006 | 8.3% | ||||
| U.S. | 2007 | 8.2% | ||||
| U.S. | 2008 | 8.2% | ||||
| U.S. | 2009 | 8.2% | ||||
| U.S. | 2010 | 8.2% | ||||
| U.S. | 2011 | 8.1% | ||||
| U.S. | 2012 | 8.0% | ||||
| U.S. | 2013 | 8.0% | ||||
| U.S. | 2014 | 8.0% | ||||
| U.S. | 2015 | 8.1% | ||||
| U.S. | 2016 | 8.2% | ||||
| U.S. | 2017 | 8.3% | ||||
| U.S. | 2018 | 8.3% | ||||
| U.S. | 2019 | 8.3% | ||||
Data Notes
Low birth weight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). [[br]] [[br]] 2019 U.S. rate is final (latest available data).Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Low Birth Weight by Race, Utah, 2020 and U.S., 2019
| Race | Percentage of Live Born Infants | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 7 | ||||||
| American Indian/Native Alaskan | 7.3% | 5.2% | 10.1% | |||
| Asian | 7.8% | 6.4% | 9.5% | |||
| Black | 10.7% | 8.8% | 13.0% | |||
| Pacific Islander | 8.5% | 6.2% | 11.5% | |||
| White | 6.9% | 6.7% | 7.2% | |||
| All Races | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.3% | |||
| U.S. | 8.3% | 2019 Final | ||||
Data Notes
Low birth weight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). [[br]] [[br]] 2019 U.S. rate is final.Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Low Birth Weight by Ethnicity, Utah, 2020 and U.S., 2019
| Hispanic Ethnicity | Percentage of Live Born Infants | Lower Limit | Upper Limit | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record Count: 4 | ||||||
| Hispanic | 8.0% | 7.5% | 8.7% | |||
| Non-Hispanic | 6.8% | 6.6% | 7.1% | |||
| All Utahns | 7.1% | 6.8% | 7.3% | |||
| U.S. | 8.3% | 2019 final | ||||
Data Notes
Low birth weight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces). [[br]] [[br]] 2019 U.S. rate is final.Data Sources
- Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
- National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
References and Community Resources
Child Health fact sheet on low birth weight by the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau[[br]] [https://mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa11/hstat/hsi/pages/201lbw.html] CDC National Public Health Tracking Network fact sheet on low birth weight[[br]] [http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showRbLBWGrowthRetardationEnv.action] March of Dimes website professional information on low birth weight[[br]] [http://www.marchofdimes.com/baby/low-birthweight.aspx]More Resources and Links
Evidence-based community health improvement ideas and interventions may be found at the following sites:Additional indicator data by state and county may be found on these Websites:
- CDC Prevention Status Reports for all 50 states
- County Health Rankings
- Kaiser Family Foundation's StateHealthFacts.org
- CDC WONDER DATA2010, the Healthy People 2010 Database.
Medical literature can be queried at the PubMed website.
Page Content Updated On 10/22/2021,
Published on 12/03/2021
