Statistics on children, youth and families in Connecticut from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Connecticut Voices for Children
Why This Indicator Matters
Birthweight correlates with a child’s future development and health. Children born under 5.5 pounds have a higher probability of experiencing pre-and post-natal developmental problems, short- and long-term disabilities, and are a greater risk of dying within the first year of life.[i] Among the risk factors for low weight births, intrauterine exposure to tobacco has been cited as a key correlate for low birth weight, small gestational age, and preterm births.[ii] Increased income from the Earned Income Tax Credit (ETIC) has been shown to reduce the incidence of low birthweight births and increase mean birthweights among babies whose mothers received the credit.[iii] Studies suggest this is in part because increased income is linked to increased prenatal care and reduced negative health behaviors.[iv]
[i] World Health Organization. WHA global nutrition targets 2025.Low birth weight policy brief. Available from: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/ globaltargets2025_policybrief_lbw/en.
[ii] Ko, T. J., Tsai, L. Y., Chu, L. C., Yeh, S. J., Leung, C., Chen, C. Y., ... & Hsieh, W. S. (2014). Parental smoking during pregnancy and its association with low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm birth offspring: a birth cohort study. Pediatrics & neonatology, 55(1), 20-27.
[iii] Ko, T. J., Tsai, L. Y., Chu, L. C., Yeh, S. J., Leung, C., Chen, C. Y., ... & Hsieh, W. S. (2014). Parental smoking during pregnancy and its association with low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm birth offspring: a birth cohort study. Pediatrics & neonatology, 55(1), 20-27.
[iv] Komro, K. A., Livingston, M. D., Markowitz, S., & Wagenaar, A. C. (2016). The effect of an increased minimum wage on infant mortality and birth weight. American journal of public health, 106(8), 1514-1516.
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
Data Source
Notes
NA: Not Available
S: Data Suppressed
The data source has not published new data for this indicator in recent years, but the indicator will be updated on the KIDS COUNT Data Center if or when new data are released. Until then, these data may provide useful historical information for those working in this field.
Last Updated