Wales

Low birthweight babies

Key points

  • The proportion of babies born with a low birthweight is similar to a decade ago.
  • The proportion of babies with a low birthweight babies is highest among those babies registered solely by their mother (10%) and lowest among couples who live together (6½%).
  • At 9% of all live births, the proportion of babies born with a low birthweight is highest in Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent.
  • The proportion of babies who are of low birthweight in Wales is similar to the Great Britain average.

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Graph 1: Over time

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Graph 2: By population group

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Graph 3: By local authority

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Map

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Graph 4: Compared to Great Britain

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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 data is for live-births only (i.e. it excludes still-births).

The second graph shows 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 third graph and map show how the proportion of babies who are of low birthweight varies by local authority.

The fourth graph shows how the proportion of babies who are of low birthweight in Wales compares with the rest of Great Britain.

The data source for first, third and fourth graphs and map is the ONS publication Key population and vital statistics.  To improve its statistical reliability, the data in the third graph and map is the average for the latest ten years.  The data in the second and fourth graph is the average for the latest three years.  The data source for the second graph is the ONS DH3 childhood, infant and perinatal mortality statistics.

Overall adequacy of the indicator: limited.  The ideal would have been to present data broken down by social class but such data is not considered to be reliable for Wales.

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© Guy Palmer | info@poverty.org.uk