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HEALTH1 Low birthweight: Percentage of infants born with low birthweight by detailed mother’s race and Hispanic origin, 1980–2005
Characteristic 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005a
Low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams or 5 lb. 8 oz.)
Total 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.8 6.8 6.9 6.9 7.1 7.0 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.6 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.1 8.2
Race and Hispanic originb
White, non-Hispanic 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.8 6.9 7.0 7.2 7.3
Black, non-Hispanic 12.7 12.6 12.4 12.8 12.5 12.6 12.9 13.1 13.3 13.6 13.3 13.6 13.4 13.4 13.3 13.2 13.1 13.1 13.2 13.2 13.1 13.1 13.4 13.6 13.7 14.0
Hispanic 6.1 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.7 6.8 6.9
Mexican American 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.0 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 —
Puerto Rican 9.0 9.0 9.1 8.9 8.9 8.7 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.0 9.4 9.2 9.2 9.1 9.4 9.2 9.4 9.7 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.7 10.0 9.8 —
Cuban 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.9 6.0 5.5 5.9 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.5 6.5 6.8 6.5 6.8 6.5 6.5 6.5 7.0 7.7 —
Central and South American 5.8 5.7 5.6 6.2 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.2 6.0 6.3 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.5 6.5 6.7 6.7 —
Other and unknown Hispanic 7.0 7.0 7.3 7.2 6.9 6.8 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.7 6.9 7.3 7.2 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.7 7.9 7.6 7.6 7.8 8.0 7.9 8.0 7.8 —
Asian/Pacific Islander 6.7 6.6 6.7 6.6 6.6 6.2 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.6 6.8 6.9 7.1 7.2 7.4 7.4 7.3 7.5 7.8 7.8 7.9 8.0
Chinese 5.2 5.6 5.3 5.1 5.0 5.0 4.8 5.0 4.6 4.9 4.7 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.8 5.3 5.0 5.1 5.3 5.2 5.1 5.3 5.5 — — —
Japanese 6.6 6.2 6.1 6.1 5.9 6.2 6.0 6.5 6.7 6.7 6.2 5.9 7.0 6.5 6.9 7.3 7.3 6.8 7.5 7.9 7.1 7.3 7.6 — — —
Filipino 7.4 7.5 7.2 7.3 7.8 6.9 7.4 7.3 7.2 7.4 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.0 7.8 7.8 7.9 8.3 8.2 8.3 8.5 8.7 8.6 — — —
Hawaiian 7.2 7.5 8.2 7.4 7.9 6.5 7.8 6.9 7.0 7.3 7.2 6.7 6.9 6.8 7.2 6.8 6.8 7.2 7.2 7.7 6.8 7.9 8.1 — — —
Other Asian/Pacific Islander 6.8 6.8 6.9 6.7 6.5 6.2 6.5 6.4 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.7 6.7 6.9 7.1 7.1 7.4 7.5 7.8 7.8 7.7 7.8 8.2 — — —
American Indian/Alaska Native 6.4 6.3 6.1 6.2 6.1 5.9 5.9 6.2 6.0 6.3 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.4 6.4 6.6 6.5 6.8 6.8 7.1 6.8 7.3 7.2 7.4 7.5 7.4
 
Characteristic 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005a
Very low birthweight (less than 1,500 grams or 3 lb. 4 oz.)
Total 1.15 1.16 1.18 1.19 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.24 1.24 1.28 1.27 1.29 1.29 1.33 1.33 1.35 1.37 1.42 1.45 1.45 1.43 1.44 1.46 1.45 1.48 1.49
Race and Hispanic originb
White, non-Hispanic 0.86 0.87 0.89 0.90 0.88 0.90 0.89 0.91 0.89 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.94 1.00 1.01 1.04 1.08 1.12 1.15 1.15 1.14 1.17 1.17 1.18 1.20 1.20
Black, non-Hispanic 2.46 2.50 2.53 2.57 2.56 2.66 2.68 2.73 2.82 2.97 2.93 2.97 2.97 2.99 2.99 2.98 3.02 3.05 3.11 3.18 3.10 3.08 3.15 3.12 3.15 3.26
Hispanic 0.98 0.98 0.99 1.03 1.01 1.01 1.02 1.06 1.01 1.05 1.03 1.02 1.04 1.06 1.08 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.15 1.14 1.14 1.14 1.17 1.16 1.20 1.19
Mexican American 0.92 0.92 0.93 0.96 0.93 0.97 0.94 0.96 0.89 0.94 0.92 0.92 0.94 0.97 0.99 1.01 1.01 1.02 1.02 1.04 1.03 1.05 1.06 1.06 1.13 —
Puerto Rican 1.29 1.43 1.54 1.46 1.49 1.30 1.47 1.63 1.61 1.71 1.62 1.66 1.70 1.66 1.63 1.79 1.70 1.85 1.86 1.86 1.93 1.85 1.96 2.00 1.96 —
Cuban 1.02 1.17 0.90 0.97 1.04 1.18 1.09 0.97 1.17 1.13 1.20 1.15 1.24 1.23 1.31 1.19 1.35 1.36 1.33 1.49 1.21 1.27 1.15 1.37 1.30 —
Central and South American 0.99 0.93 0.83 0.99 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.02 0.97 1.05 1.05 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.06 1.13 1.14 1.17 1.23 1.15 1.20 1.19 1.20 1.17 1.19 —
Other and unknown Hispanic 1.01 0.93 1.03 1.08 1.05 0.96 1.08 1.15 1.11 1.04 1.09 1.09 1.10 1.23 1.29 1.28 1.48 1.35 1.38 1.32 1.42 1.27 1.44 1.28 1.27 —
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.92 0.93 0.91 0.88 0.93 0.85 0.86 0.83 0.84 0.90 0.87 0.85 0.91 0.86 0.93 0.91 0.99 1.05 1.10 1.08 1.05 1.03 1.12 1.09 1.14 1.13
Chinese 0.66 0.68 0.70 0.77 0.70 0.57 0.63 0.65 0.57 0.61 0.51 0.65 0.67 0.63 0.58 0.67 0.64 0.74 0.75 0.68 0.77 0.69 0.74 — — —
Japanese 0.94 0.75 0.94 0.63 0.81 0.84 0.86 0.80 0.92 0.86 0.73 0.62 0.85 0.74 0.92 0.87 0.81 0.78 0.84 0.86 0.75 0.71 0.97 — — —
Filipino 0.99 1.03 0.89 0.98 0.97 0.86 0.87 0.94 0.91 1.12 1.05 0.97 1.05 0.95 1.19 1.13 1.20 1.29 1.35 1.41 1.38 1.23 1.31 — — —
Hawaiian 1.05 1.47 1.09 1.35 1.41 1.03 1.29 1.16 1.01 1.13 0.97 1.02 1.02 1.14 1.20 0.94 0.97 1.41 1.53 1.41 1.39 1.50 1.55 — — —
Other Asian/Pacific Islander 0.96 0.95 0.94 0.86 0.94 0.91 0.87 0.82 0.88 0.89 0.92 0.87 0.93 0.89 0.93 0.91 1.04 1.07 1.12 1.09 1.04 1.06 1.17 — — —
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.92 0.89 1.06 1.07 1.02 1.01 0.99 1.13 1.00 1.00 1.01 1.07 0.95 1.05 1.10 1.10 1.21 1.19 1.24 1.26 1.16 1.26 1.28 1.30 1.28 1.17
— Not available.
a Data for 2005 are preliminary.
b The 1977 OMB Standards for Data on Race and Ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four racial groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. California, Hawaii, Ohio (for December only), Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington reported multiple race data in 2003, following the revised 1997 OMB standards. In 2004, the following states began to report multiple race data: Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York State (excluding New York City), South Carolina, and Tennessee. The multiple-race data for these states were bridged to the single-race categories of the 1977 OMB standards for comparability with other states. In addition, note that data on race and Hispanic origin are collected and reported separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
NOTE: Excludes live births with unknown birthweight. Low–birthweight infants weigh less than 2,500 grams at birth or 5 lb. 8 oz. Very–low–birthweight infants weigh less than 1,500 grams or 3 lb. 4 oz. Trend data for births to Hispanic and to White and Black, non-Hispanic women are affected by expansion of the reporting area in which an item on Hispanic origin is included on the birth certificate as well as by immigration. These two factors affect numbers of events, composition of the Hispanic population, and maternal and infant health characteristics. The number of States in the reporting area increased from 22 in 1980 to 23 and the District of Columbia (DC) in 1983–1987, 30 and DC in 1988, 47 and DC in 1989, 48 and DC in 1990, 49 and DC in 1991–1992, and all 50 States and DC from 1993 forward. Trend data for births to Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic women are also affected by immigration. Beginning in 2003, data are no longer available for Asian/Pacific Islander subgroups. See Technical Notes in Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Sutton, P.D., Ventura, S.J., Menacker, F., and Munson, M.L. (2005). Births: Final Data for 2003. National Vital Statistics Reports 55 (1). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System. Martin, J.A., Hamilton, B.E., Sutton, P.D., Ventura, S.J., Menacker, F., and Munson, M.L. (2006). Births: Final data for 2004. National Vital Statistics Reports, 55(1). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Hamilton, B.E., Martin, J.A., Ventura, S.J., Sutton, P.D., and Menacker F. Births: Preliminary Data for 2005. National Vital Statistics Reports, 55. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.