Health
Low Birth Weight Babies
Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Low Birth Weight Babies
2018-21
Arkansas County10.5%
Ashley County10.3%
Baxter County6.5%
Benton County7.4%
Boone County6.9%
Bowie County, Texas11.3%
Bradley County13.2%
Calhoun County9.8%
Carroll County7.0%
Chicot County13.8%
Clark County8.5%
Clay County9.3%
Cleburne County10.4%
Cleveland County12.7%
Columbia County10.3%
Conway County9.2%
Craighead County10.6%
Crawford County8.2%
Crittenden County15.4%
Cross County10.3%
Dallas County11.0%
Desha County15.8%
Drew County10.7%
Faulkner County8.3%
Franklin County6.1%
Fulton County6.4%
Garland County9.5%
Grant County10.3%
Greene County8.1%
Hempstead County10.2%
Hot Spring County9.5%
Howard County10.2%
Independence County9.1%
Izard County8.0%
Jackson County9.8%
Jefferson County13.6%
Johnson County6.5%
Lafayette County9.2%
Lawrence County9.4%
Lee County15.8%
Lincoln County8.4%
Little River County10.7%
Logan County9.7%
Lonoke County8.6%
Madison County7.5%
Marion County8.1%
Miller County9.7%
Mississippi County11.3%
Monroe County8.1%
Montgomery County7.6%
Nevada County11.5%
Newton County5.5%
Ouachita County10.9%
Perry County8.1%
Phillips County14.5%
Pike County8.2%
Poinsett County11.0%
Polk County6.4%
Pope County7.1%
Prairie County10.4%
Pulaski County11.8%
Randolph County7.7%
Saline County13.0%
Scott County8.4%
Searcy County8.8%
Sebastian County8.6%
Sevier County8.5%
Sharp County6.9%
St. Francis County9.4%
Stone County8.5%
Union County9.5%
Van Buren County8.5%
Washington County8.0%
White County8.4%
Woodruff County10.4%
Yell County8.3%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Notes: Low weight births are less than 2,500 grams







STATE TREND

Not Available


9.4%

2018-21

What does this measure?

The number of babies born with low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams or about 5.5 pounds) expressed as a percentage of all live births.

Why is this important?

Low birth weight is a leading predictor of neonatal death. Low birth-weight infants are also more likely than normal birth-weight infants to experience long-term developmental and neurological disabilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that maternal smoking is the cause of 20% to 30% of all low-weight births in the United States.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2018-22, 9.4% of babies born in Arkansas were considered to have low birth weight, 1 percentage point higher than the national rate. Low birth weight was particularly high among Black or African American babies at 16%, compared to 9.9% for Asian or Pacific Islanders, 7.4% for Whites and 7.3% for Hispanics.

Within the state, low birth rate rates ranged from as high as 15.8% in Desha and Lee Counties to as low as 5.5% in Newton County.

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

Racial disparities in low birth weight of babies emerge from systems that perpetuate structural racism. Higher low birth weight rates among infants of color are directly tied to maternal access to prenatal care throughout pregnancy and quality of care. Research has shown that mothers of color are less likely to receive prenatal care in part because they tend to live in communities with fewer health care providers including neonatal services. While women of color from under-resourced communities gain access to health care via Medicaid, they are often underinsured. Discriminatory treatment by health care providers influences whether the health care needs of women of color are adequately addressed, putting mothers and their infants at higher risk of low birth weight. The overall health of expectant mothers of color and access to comprehensive health care including gynecological services before pregnancy also contributes to low birth weights. Racism experienced by expectant mothers of color in their everyday lives at work and in their neighborhoods (e.g. food insecurity, environmental toxins) places their infants at higher risk of low birth weight. Neighborhood quality including cleanliness, crime rates and community cohesion affect the well-being of expectant mothers and their children at birth. The physiological response to structural racism by mothers of color influences racial disparities in low birth weight rates.

Notes about the data

All race categories exclude Hispanics. Low birthweight is less than 2500 grams (5 1/2 pounds).




Source: National Center for Health Statistics


Low Birth Weight Babies
2018-21
Arkansas9.4%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Notes: Low weight births are less than 2,500 grams






Source: National Center for Health Statistics


Low Birth Weight Babies by Race/Ethnicity
AllAsian or Pacific IslanderBlack or African AmericanHispanic or LatinoNative AmericanWhite
Arkansas9.5%9.9%16.0%7.3%6.5%7.4%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics
Notes: Percentage of babies born with a birthweight < 5.5 pounds.









INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Education: Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Education: Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Education: Graduation Rate Increasing
Education: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Education: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Education: Imagination Libraries Increasing
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Health: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Health: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Health: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Health: Oral Health Increasing
Health: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Health: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Health: Overdose Deaths Increasing
Families: Teen Births Decreasing
Families: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Median Household Income Maintaining
Families: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Families: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Families: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Families: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Families: Food Deserts Not Applicable
Families: Homelessness Decreasing
Families: Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Families: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden Decreasing
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Families: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Families: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Families: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Community: Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Community: Charitable Giving Increasing
Community: Volunteering Increasing
Community: Group Participation Increasing
Community: Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Community: Local Voting Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population Increasing
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Racial Equity: Oral Health Increasing
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Racial Equity: Teen Births Decreasing
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Median Household Income Maintaining
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Racial Equity: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homelessness Decreasing
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Racial Equity: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable








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