Elsevier

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 97, Issue 5, November 1980, Pages 759-764
The Journal of Pediatrics

Original article
The very low-birth-weight rate: Principal predictor of neonatal mortality in industrialized populations

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(80)80259-9Get rights and content

We have examined the relationship between the rate of very low-birth-weight deliveries in a population and the neonatal mortality of that population on three ecologic levels: in one hospital over a 12-year span; among the 50 states and the District of Columbia; and among 13 industralized nations. In each of the three sets of populations the VLBW rate is an excellent predictor of neonatal mortality, accounting for about three-quarters of the variance in the outcome in all of the populations studied. The relatively high neonatal mortality of the United States as compared to that in some other industrialized nations is primarily attributable to its disadvantageous birth-weight distribution. Holding the adverse birth-weight distribution constant, the United States appears to do better than most of these nations in neonatal mortality. The weight distribution of live births in any population is closely linked to indices of social class. Survival of infants at a given birth weight, however, might well be a function of perinatal care. Since weight-specific mortality rates for populations are not widely available, examination of the variance in neonatal mortality rates once the VLBW rate is held constant might be a first step in comparing the quality of medical care for newborn infants amondifferent populations.

References (25)

  • Erhardt CL et al.

    Influence of weight and gestation on perinatal and neonatal mortality by ethnic group

    Am J Pub Health

    (1964)
  • BattagliaFC et al.

    Birthweight, gestational age and pregnancy outcome with special reference to high birth weight-low gestational age infants

    Pediatrics

    (1966)
  • Cited by (94)

    • Perinatal and infant mortality statistics

      1996, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    1

    Dr. Lee is Clinical Investigator Awardee from NIAMDD (No. 5K08-AM00219-03) and I.T. Hirschl Career Scientist Awardee from Irma T. Hirschl Trust.

    View full text