Birth and Newborn Behavior: Low Birthweight Babies and Infant Mortality

5.5-10lbs

normal birth weight range

low birth weight

8.28% of babies in 2017 were classified as this

low birth weight babies

weight cutoff these babies is 5lbs 8 oz

very low birth weight

1.4% of babies in 2017 were classified as this

very low birth weight babies

cutoff weight for these babies is 3.4 lbs

18-22 in

normal range of length for full-term infants

preterm

babies born 3 weeks or more early (born at less than 37 weeks)

small for gestational age

babies born "on time" (after 37 weeks) but are low birthweight

15 million

number of babies each year that are born preterm

9.9%

percentage of babies born preterm in the U.S.

yes (13.4% for black, 8.9% for white)

Are there more black babies born preterm than white babies?

preterm birth

leading cause of death for infants

90%

percentage of extremely preterm babies that die in low-income developing countries

less than 10%

percentage of preterm babies that die in high-income countries

teratogens, inadequate nutrition, pre-eclampsia, maternal chronic illness or infection, pregnancy complications, maternal stress, multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.), lack of prenatal care

factors that increase the risk of having a low birth rate baby

medical problems, less responsive to stimulation, more irritable

short term effects of low birth weight

increases

survival rate ______________(increases/decreases) the closer the baby is to term

cerebral palsy, vision and hearing loss, intellectual disability, learning problems, behavioral problems, autism

long term effects of low birth weight

delayed

low birth weight babies may show ______________ development as compared to babies born on time

yes (even very low birth weight babies)

Do most low birth weight babies catch up developmentally over time?

specific weight, specific problems/issues, quality of medical care, quality of home care

factors that determine the effects of low birth weight

kangaroo care

skin-to-skin holding of the baby against parent's chest with a blanket over the baby; regulates physical functions, promotes weight gain

kangaroo care, physical therapy

2 treatment methods for low birth weight babies