title: Assessment of risk factors for low birth weight deliveries.
abstract: Recognition of a higher than average incidence of low birth weight (LBW) deliveries in areas of Eastern Pennsylvania led to an analysis of more than 5,500 deliveries in one of the region's hospital systems to investigate the predictors of LBW in that population. Results of multivariate analysis indicate key variables that contribute to LBW: in particular, racial/ethnic background and specific medial problems during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, incompetent cervix, bleeding, low BMI and lack of adequate weight gain. Results were incorporated into training in best practices for prenatal care in the city's prenatal clinics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA. judith.lasker@lehigh.edu
authors.forename: Judith N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lasker
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.forename: Kuang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ortynsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007229:Infant Welfare / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D008429:Maternal Welfare / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors