A two-stage selectivity correction model was applied to race- and ethnic-specific data from 1984 New York City birth certificates. Ordinary least squares underestimated the effects of prenatal care on birth weight by at least 80% for whites and Hispanics. (Author/SK)

Explores the effects of ecological and individual risk factors on infant health for black and white women. Examines the association among neighborhood economic indicators, neighborhood quality, access to prenatal care, and individual perinatal risk factors and subsequent birthweight. The findings emphasize the need for socially and ecologically…

This report provides an overview of infant mortality rates in congressional districts represented by members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). The 1989 or 1990 mortality rates for Blacks and Whites for the 25 districts represented by CBC members are presented, as well as rates for the overall population. An appendix provides data on Black,…

Evaluated the effectiveness of a prenatal-education program in increasing prenatal care utilization, improving maternal weight gain, and reducing low-birthweight births among adolescents. Data from weekly program reports and state vital statistics and health services information indicated that program participants were less likely to have…

Reviewed the medical and school records of 230 adolescent mothers to determine the effects of an alternative public school for pregnant teenagers. Found that pregnant mothers who did not attend the school until later in their pregnancy were more likely to deliver a preterm, low-birthweight infant than were mothers who began attending earlier. (MDM)

Assessed whether the timing of prenatal care related to low birth weight delivery, adjusting for sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Data on births to white and African American women showed no benefits for early initiation of prenatal care in reducing the risk of low birth weight.(SM)

A study compared 26,460 maltreated infants who entered foster care between 1989 and 1994 with a random sample of 68,401 other infants. Infants in care were more than twice as likely to have single parents and low birth weight, and twice as likely to have been born with a birth abnormality. (Author/CR)

This brief Kids Count report reviews principal adverse birth outcomes that affect the status of infants in Montana, including infant mortality and low birth weight. Statistics and brief summaries are provided in the following areas: (1) infant mortality (on the decline since 1989); (2) low birth rate (remaining steady from 1988 through 1992); (3)…

Examines the relationship between social factors and low birth weight and the ways in which disparities in socioeconomic status have been addressed over time, and assesses the effectiveness of efforts to reduce low birth weight occurrences. The authors discuss the steps required to reduce persistent disparities in low birth weight. (GR)

In 1978, the Surgeon General established objectives to be met by 1990 for maternal and child health. Using statistical data, this report by the Children's Defense Fund evaluates the extent to which those objectives have been met. In particular, data gathered in this report show: (1) the nation failed to meet goals for increasing prenatal care, and…

One of the objectives of the U.S. Department of Education's National Goals for Education is that "Children will receive the nutrition and health care needed to arrive at school with healthy minds and bodies, and the number of low birthweight babies will be significantly reduced through enhanced prenatal health systems." This paper…

This report presents data for the nation's 50 largest cities for every year from 1990-98 on eight measures of a healthy start to life (teen births, repeat teen births, births to unmarried women, low maternal education, late or no prenatal care, smoking during pregnancy, low-birthweight births, and preterm births). It identifies cities that have…

This report presents 2001 data on U.S. births according to maternal demographics (age, live-birth order, marital status, race, Hispanic origin, and educational attainment); maternal characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, and tobacco and alcohol use); pregnant women's medical care utilization (prenatal care, obstetric procedures,…

This report profiles the 2000 status of and changes (since 1990) in rates of health and health-related measures for racially and culturally diverse populations living in the 100 largest U.S. cities and their suburbs. Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify patterns in race/ethnicity, foreign…

Noting prenatal and early childhood home visitation by nurses has had positive effects on birth outcomes in several at-risk populations, this study examined the impact of weekly home visits by systematically trained visitors on birth outcomes of high-risk pregnant women within the context of a Florida Healthy Start project. Participating were…