United Kingdom
Low birthweight babies
Key points
- Over the last decade, the proportion of babies in England and Wales who are of low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams) has remained broadly unchanged.
- Babies from manual backgrounds are somewhat more likely to have a low birthweight than those from non-manual backgrounds: 8% compared to 6½%.
- Babies of lone parents are more likely to be of low birthweight than babies of couples: 10% compared to 7%.
- The proportion of babies who are of low birthweight is similar in all regions of Great Britain.
- See the equivalent analysis for Scotland.
- There is a very strong relationship between low birthweight (this indicator) and the subsequent likelihood of infant death (see the infant death indicator). For example, those of extremely low birthweight (less than 1,000 grams) are 200 times more likely to die as an infant than those of normal birthweight, whilst those just below the low birthweight threshold (2,000 to 2,500 grams) are 5 times as likely to die as an infant as those of normal birthweight. Reflecting this, two-thirds of all infant deaths are among those borne of low birthweight, and more than half of these were borne of extremely low birthweight.
Graph 1: Over time
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Graph 2: By family type
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Graph 3: By region
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View an interactive map at local authority district level (opens in a new window).
Download a spreadsheet with the district-level statistics
Graph 4: Link with infant deaths (rates)
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Graph 5: Link with infant deaths (shares)
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Why this indicator was originally chosen
The rates of death and illness associated with low birth weight reflect both its immediate and its long-term health risks to the infant. It is closely correlated with poor health in the first four weeks of life, and with death before the age of two years; there are also associations with premature death from coronary artery disease. Spencer, N, Poverty and child health, Radcliffe Press, 1996, page 112.
Low birth weight is also associated with delayed physical and intellectual development in early childhood, and in adolescence. Carr-Hill, R, The Measurement of Inequalities in Health: Lessons from the British Experience, Social Science and Medicine, 31(3), 1990, pages 393-404. Cerebral palsy, sight and hearing defects, and hernias are all more common in low birth weight babies. Botting, B (ed) The health of our children, Decennial Supplement Series DS No 11, 1995, page 71.
Definitions and data sources
The first graph shows the proportion of babies born each year who are defined as having a low birth weight, i.e. less than 2½ kilograms (5½ lbs). The proportions are shown separately for babies according to the social class of the father. The social class classifications for 2002 onwards are different from those used in earlier years and range from 1 (higher managerial and professional) to 8 (never worked and long-term unemployed).
The data is for live-births only (i.e. it excludes still-births). It is based on a 10% sample coded to father's occupation and excludes sole registrations by mothers.
The second graph shows, for the latest year, how the proportion of babies who are of low birthweight varies according to the parents' living status at the time of the registration of birth. The data is based on a 100% count of live births.
The data source for the first two graphs is ONS child mortality statistics (from 2006 onwards, although the data is not publicly available) and DH3 childhood, infant and perinatal mortality statistics (prior to 2006). The data relates to England and Wales.
The third graph shows how the proportion of babies who are of low birthweight varies by region.
The data source for the third graph is the ONS publication Key population and vital statistics. To improve its statistical reliability, the data is the average for the latest three years.
The fourth and fifth graphs both concern the relationship between low birthweight and infant deaths (deaths which occur at ages under one year). The fourth graph shows the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births for each birthweight. The fifth graph shows the proportion of infant deaths that were borne of each birthweight.
The data source for the fourth and fifth graphs is ONS child mortality statistics and relates to England and Wales.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: medium. The data itself is large and reputable, but classification by the social class of the father may be problematic since those where no details are known about the father are not included at all.
External links
- See the 2006 BLISS report entitled Weigh less, worth less?
- See the Department of Health's Programme for action in tackling health inequalities, which includes annually published status reports.
- See the Winter 2003 Health Statistics Quarterly, which has an article entitled Infant and perinatal mortality by social and biological factors.
- See the Sure Start site.
Relevant 2007 Public Service Agreements
None directly relevant.
Relevant government policies
The numbers
Graph 1
| Year | Social classes I to IIINM | Social classes IIIM to V |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| 1996 | 6.3% | 7.7% |
| 1997 | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| 1998 | 6.3% | 8.3% |
| 1999 | 6.3% | 8.5% |
| 2000 | 6.4% | 8.2% |
| 2001 | 6.4% | 8.5% |
| Social classes 1-4 | Social classes 5-8 | |
| 2002 | 6.6% | 8.5% |
| 2003 | 6.7% | 8.5% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | 8.2% |
| 2005 | 6.4% | 8.6% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | 7.7% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | 7.8% |
Graph 2
| Joint registration, same address | 6.9% |
|---|---|
| Joint registration, different addresses | 9.0% |
| Registered solely by the mother | 9.7% |
| Total | 7.1% |
Graph 3
| East | 6.7% |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 7.5% |
| London | 7.8% |
| North East | 7.7% |
| North West | 7.6% |
| Scotland | 7.2% |
| South East | 6.8% |
| South West | 6.5% |
| Wales | 7.1% |
| West Midlands | 8.5% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 7.9% |
Graphs 4 and 5
| Birthweight (in grams) | Infant deaths per 1,000 live births | Proportion of all infant deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1,000g | 313 | 42% |
| 1,000-1,500g | 59 | 9% |
| 1,500-2,000g | 21 | 7% |
| 2,000-2,500g | 8 | 8% |
| 2,500g or more | 2 | 34% |