Percentage of Live Born Infants With Low Birthweight by County, New Mexico, 2017-2019
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Why Is This Important?
Low birthweight increases the risk for infant mortality and morbidity. As birthweight decreases, the risk for death increases. Low birthweight infants who survive often require intensive care at birth, may develop chronic illnesses, and later may require special education services. Health care costs and length of hospital stay are higher for low birthweight infants.
Percentage of Live Born Infants With Low Birthweight by County, New Mexico, 2017-2019
Definition
Low birthweight infants are those weighing less than 2,500 grams (about 5.5 pounds). The low birthweight rate is the number of live births under 2,500 grams divided by the total number of live births over the same time period. Low birthweight is defined as less than 2,500 grams (about 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Data Sources
- Birth Certificate Data, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health.
(https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/bvrhs/vrp/) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC WONDER Online Database
(http://wonder.cdc.gov)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of live born infants weighing under 2,500 grams. |
| Denominator: | Total number of live births. |
Data Issues
Birth certificate information is submitted electronically by hospital medical records staff who use standard mother and facility worksheets and medical charts to collect the needed information. Training of hospital staff is provided by the Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS). The birth certificate information is reviewed by BVRHS for completeness and consistency with state law and NMDOH and national guidelines. BVRHS will contact hospital staff for clarification of missing, inconsistent or incorrect entries. CDC's National Center for Health Statistics provides feedback to BVRHS on data quality and the NMDOH provides feedback to the hospitals to improve data quality and training.Health Topic Pages Related to: Birth Outcomes - Low Birthweight
Community Health Resources and Links
- Healthy People 2030 Website
- The Guide to Community Preventive Services
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
- County Health Rankings
- Kaiser Family Foundation's StateHealthFacts
Medical literature can be queried at the PubMed website.