Low Birth Weight

The Low Birth Weight measure is the percentage of infants born who weigh less than 5.5 pounds (2500 grams). The higher the proportion of low birth weight infants, the greater the negative impact on neighborhood health. Neighborhoods with less than 50 births between 2011 and 2013 are not included. Data are from the Minneapolis Health Department, based on information from the Office of Vital Records at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Low birth weight can be related to poor health outcomes for infants. Infants with low birth weights have higher rates of cognitive development problems and neurological impairments. These infants may also be at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and respiratory conditions over their lifetime. Mothers’ health and access to health care prior to and during pregnancy can affect birth weight. Low birth weight is affected by mothers’ alcohol and cigarette use during pregnancy and to neighborhood characteristics. Low Birth Weight is in the Health Systems and Public Safety domain.

Neighborhoodsort ascending Indicator Value Rank
Windom Park 3.5% 11
Windom 6.6% 35
Willard - Hay 14.4% 79
Whittier 7.2% 43
West Calhoun -% -
Wenonah 10.0% 59
Webber - Camden 12.3% 72
Waite Park 4.4% 15
Victory 6.7% 36
Ventura Village 9.6% 57
University of Minnesota -% -
Tangletown 4.3% 14
Sumner - Glenwood (Heritage Park) 8.1% 51
Steven's Square - Loring Heights 13.1% 76
Standish 5.5% 27
St. Anthony West 2.9% 8
St. Anthony East 4.8% 20
Shingle Creek 12.2% 71
Sheridan 12.6% 74
Seward 5.4% 25
Regina 2.2% 5
Prospect Park - East River Road 4.0% 13
Powderhorn Park 10.3% 62
Phillips West 6.0% 30
Page 1.3% 2
Northrop 4.4% 15
Northeast Park -% -
North Loop 4.6% 19
Nicollet Island - East Bank -% -
Near - North 10.1% 60
Morris Park 7.6% 47
Minnehaha 3.4% 10
Midtown Phillips 10.9% 64
Mid - City Industrial -% -
McKinley 11.8% 70
Marshall Terrace 6.5% 34
Marcy Holmes 1.7% 3
Lynnhurst 8.1% 51
Lyndale 6.7% 36
Lowry Hill East 9.8% 58
Lowry Hill 4.5% 18
Loring Park 11.5% 68
Longfellow 2.7% 6
Logan Park 12.4% 73
Linden Hills 3.9% 12
Lind - Bohanon 10.2% 61
King Field 10.7% 63
Kenwood -% -
Kenny 1.0% 1
Keewaydin 7.9% 49
Jordan 11.6% 69
Humboldt Industrial Area -% -
Howe 9.2% 55
Holland 6.2% 33
Hiawatha 6.8% 39
Hawthorne 13.9% 77
Harrison 8.0% 50
Hale 7.5% 45
Fulton 4.8% 20
Folwell 13.0% 75
Field 2.8% 7
Ericsson 5.0% 22
Elliot Park 5.1% 23
East Phillips 7.4% 44
East Isles 3.3% 9
East Harriet 8.6% 53
East Calhoun (ECCO) 11.3% 66
Downtown West 10.9% 64
Downtown East 11.4% 67
Diamond Lake 5.2% 24
Corcoran 7.5% 45
Cooper 14.1% 78
Como 1.8% 4
Columbia Park 8.8% 54
Cleveland 9.4% 56
Central 7.0% 41
Cedar Riverside 6.1% 31
Cedar - Isles - Dean 7.6% 47
Camden Industrial -% -
Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG) 6.8% 39
Bryn - Mawr 5.6% 28
Bryant 4.4% 15
Bottineau 6.7% 36
Beltrami 5.8% 29
Bancroft 7.1% 42
Audubon Park 5.4% 25
Armatage 6.1% 31

Key Citations:
1. Bailey, Beth A, and Abbie R Byrom. 2007. “Factors Predicting Birth Weight in a Low-risk Sample: The Role of Modifiable Pregnancy Health Behaviors.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 11 (2) (March): 173–179.

2. Buka, Stephen L, Robert T Brennan, Janet W Rich-Edwards, Stephen W Raudenbush, and Felton Earls. 2003. “Neighborhood Support and the Birth Weight of Urban Infants.” American Journal of Epidemiology 157 (1) (January 1): 1–8.

3. El-Mohandes, Ayman A.E., Michele Kiely, Marie G. Gantz, and M. Nabil El-Khorazaty. 2011. “Very Preterm Birth Is Reduced in Women Receiving an Integrated Behavioral Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 15 (1) (January): 19–28.

4. Irving, R J, N R Belton, R A Elton, and B R Walker. 2000. “Adult Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Premature Babies.” Lancet 355 (9221) (June 17): 2135–2136.

5. Kim, Daniel, and Adrianna Saada. 2013. “The Social Determinants of Infant Mortality and Birth Outcomes in Western Developed Nations: a Cross-country Systematic Review.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 10 (6): 2296–2335.

6. Meng, Gang, Mary E Thompson, and G Brent Hall. 2013. “Pathways of Neighbourhood-level Socio-economic Determinants of Adverse Birth Outcomes.” International Journal of Health Geographics 12: 32.

7. Morenoff, Jeffrey D. 2003. “Neighborhood Mechanisms and the Spatial Dynamics of Birth Weight.” AJS; American Journal of Sociology 108 (5) (March): 976–1017.

8. Petrou, S, T Sach, and L Davidson. 2001. “The Long-term Costs of Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight: Results of a Systematic Review.” Child: Care, Health and Development 27 (2) (March): 97–115.

9. Schempf, Ashley, Donna Strobino, and Patricia O’Campo. 2009. “Neighborhood Effects on Birthweight: An Exploration of Psychosocial and Behavioral Pathways in Baltimore, 1995--1996.” Social Science & Medicine (1982) 68 (1) (January): 100–110. Shenkin, Susan D, John M Starr, and Ian J Deary. 2004. “Birth Weight and Cognitive Ability in Childhood: a Systematic Review.” Psychological Bulletin 130 (6) (November): 989–1013. Vinikoor-Imler, L C, L C Messer, K R Evenson, and B A Laraia. 2011. “Neighborhood Conditions Are Associated with Maternal Health Behaviors and Pregnancy Outcomes.” Social Science & Medicine (1982) 73 (9) (November): 1302–1311.