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Massachusetts
Statistics on children, youth and families in Massachusetts from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
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Why This Indicator Matters
Babies born at a weight of 5.5 pounds or less are counted as “low birth weight.” Sometimes genetic reasons, including the size of the parents, explain this, but for many babies low birth weight is the result of a premature birth or of complications affecting growth while in the womb.
Although some low birth weight babies are healthy, most are at greater risk for a variety of respiratory and other disorders, including heart problems, anemia, and infections. These babies are also at greater risk for poor growth through childhood and developmental problems.
Definition and Source
PROVIDER
Definition
Low birth weight: Infant births <2500 grams (<5.5 pounds)
Percent: Percent of total resident births with a low birth weight
Number: Number of total resident births with a low birth weight
NA: Not applicable as number and percentage based on four or fewer low birth weight babies suppressed
Data Source
Annual reports on Massachusetts Births, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Notes
Resident births refer to births to mothers who report their usual place of residence as the particular geographical place (state, or city/town.)
Updated December 2023 with data from 2020.Last Updated
January 2024