[Home button] Table 11. Low-birthweight live births, according to mother's detailed race, Hispanic origin, and smoking status: United States, selected years 1970-96 [Data are based on the National Vital Statistics System] Birthweight, race of mother, Hispanic origin of mother, and smoking status of mother 1970 1975 1980 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams) Percent of live births1 All races 7.93 7.38 6.84 6.72 6.75 6.81 6.90 6.93 7.05 6.97 7.12 7.08 7.22 7.28 7.32 7.39 White 6.85 6.27 5.72 5.61 5.65 5.66 5.70 5.67 5.72 5.70 5.80 5.80 5.98 6.11 6.22 6.34 Black 13.90 13.19 12.69 12.58 12.65 12.77 12.98 13.26 13.51 13.25 13.55 13.31 13.34 13.24 13.13 13.01 American Indian or Alaskan Native 7.97 6.41 6.44 6.15 5.86 5.94 6.15 6.00 6.26 6.11 6.15 6.22 6.42 6.45 6.61 6.49 Asian or Pacific Islander - - - - - - 6.68 6.57 6.16 6.47 6.41 6.31 6.51 6.45 6.54 6.57 6.55 6.81 6.90 7.07 [>] Chinese 6.67 5.29 5.21 5.05 4.98 4.85 5.02 4.63 4.89 4.69 5.10 4.98 4.91 4.76 5.29 5.03 [>] Japanese 9.03 7.47 6.60 5.91 6.21 6.03 6.49 6.69 6.67 6.16 5.90 7.00 6.53 6.91 7.26 7.27 [>] Filipino 10.02 8.08 7.40 7.78 6.95 7.42 7.30 7.15 7.35 7.30 7.31 7.43 6.99 7.77 7.83 7.92 [>] Hawaiian [>] and part [>] Hawaiian - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7.29 7.24 6.73 6.89 6.76 7.20 6.84 6.77 [>] Other Asian [>] or Pacific [>] Islander - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6.61 6.65 6.74 6.68 6.89 7.06 7.05 7.42 Hispanic origin (selected States)2,3 - - - - - - 6.12 6.15 6.16 6.13 6.24 6.17 6.18 6.06 6.15 6.10 6.24 6.25 6.29 6.28 [>] Mexican [>] American - - - - - - 5.62 5.68 5.77 5.62 5.74 5.60 5.60 5.55 5.60 5.61 5.77 5.80 5.81 5.86 [>] Puerto [>] Rican - - - - - - 8.95 8.88 8.69 9.22 9.30 9.42 9.50 8.99 9.42 9.19 9.23 9.13 9.41 9.24 [>] Cuban - - - - - - 5.62 5.86 6.02 5.46 5.89 5.94 5.77 5.67 5.57 6.10 6.18 6.27 6.50 6.46 [>] Central and [>] South [>] American - - - - - - 5.76 5.81 5.68 5.69 5.74 5.58 5.81 5.84 5.87 5.77 5.94 6.02 6.20 6.03 [>] Other and [>] unknown [>] Hispanic - - - - - - 6.96 6.89 6.83 6.87 6.91 6.85 6.74 6.87 7.25 7.24 7.51 7.54 7.55 7.68 White, non-Hispanic (selected States)2 - - - - - - 5.67 5.53 5.60 5.58 5.63 5.62 5.62 5.61 5.72 5.73 5.92 6.06 6.20 6.36 Black, non-Hispanic (selected States)2 - - - - - - 12.71 12.54 12.61 12.85 13.10 13.28 13.61 13.32 13.62 13.40 13.43 13.34 13.21 13.12 Cigarette smoker4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11.36 11.25 11.41 11.49 11.84 12.28 12.18 12.13 Nonsmoker4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6.02 6.14 6.36 6.35 6.56 6.71 6.79 6.91 Very low birthweight (less than 1,500 grams) All races 1.17 1.16 1.15 1.19 1.21 1.21 1.24 1.24 1.28 1.27 1.29 1.29 1.33 1.33 1.35 1.37 White 0.95 0.92 0.90 0.93 0.94 0.93 0.94 0.93 0.95 0.95 0.96 0.96 1.01 1.02 1.06 1.09 Black 2.40 2.40 2.48 2.60 2.71 2.73 2.79 2.86 2.95 2.92 2.96 2.96 2.96 2.96 2.97 2.99 American Indian or Alaskan Native 0.98 0.95 0.92 1.02 1.01 0.99 1.13 1.00 1.00 1.01 1.07 0.95 1.05 1.10 1.10 1.21 Asian or Pacific Islander - - - - - - 0.92 0.93 0.85 0.86 0.83 0.84 0.90 0.87 0.85 0.91 0.86 0.93 0.91 0.99 [>] Chinese 0.80 0.52 0.66 0.70 0.57 0.63 0.65 0.57 0.61 0.51 0.65 0.67 0.63 0.58 0.67 0.64 [>] Japanese 1.48 0.89 0.94 0.81 0.84 0.86 0.80 0.92 0.86 0.73 0.62 0.85 0.74 0.92 0.87 0.81 [>] Filipino 1.08 0.93 0.99 0.97 0.86 0.87 0.94 0.91 1.12 1.05 0.97 1.05 0.95 1.19 1.13 1.20 [>] Hawaiian [>] and part [>] Hawaiian - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.13 0.97 1.02 1.02 1.14 1.20 0.94 0.97 [>] Other Asian [>] or Pacific [>] Islander - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.89 0.92 0.87 0.93 0.89 0.93 0.91 1.04 Hispanic origin (selected States)2,3 - - - - - - 0.98 1.01 1.01 1.02 1.06 1.01 1.05 1.03 1.02 1.04 1.06 1.08 1.11 1.12 [>] Mexican [>] American - - - - - - 0.92 0.93 0.97 0.94 0.96 0.89 0.94 0.92 0.92 0.94 0.97 0.99 1.01 1.01 [>] Puerto [>] Rican - - - - - - 1.29 1.49 1.30 1.47 1.63 1.61 1.71 1.62 1.66 1.70 1.66 1.63 1.79 1.70 [>] Cuban - - - - - - 1.02 1.04 1.18 1.09 0.97 1.17 1.13 1.20 1.15 1.24 1.23 1.31 1.19 1.35 [>] Central and [>] South [>] American - - - - - - 0.99 1.04 1.01 1.04 1.02 0.97 1.05 1.05 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.06 1.13 1.14 [>] Other and [>] unknown [>] Hispanic - - - - - - 1.01 1.05 0.96 1.08 1.15 1.11 1.04 1.09 1.09 1.10 1.23 1.29 1.28 1.48 White, non-Hispanic (selected States)2 - - - - - - 0.86 0.88 0.90 0.89 0.91 0.89 0.93 0.93 0.94 0.94 1.00 1.01 1.04 1.08 Black, non-Hispanic (selected States)2 - - - - - - 2.46 2.56 2.66 2.68 2.73 2.82 2.97 2.93 2.97 2.97 2.99 2.99 2.98 3.02 Cigarette smoker4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.75 1.73 1.73 1.74 1.77 1.81 1.85 1.85 Nonsmoker4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1.16 1.18 1.21 1.22 1.28 1.30 1.31 1.35 - - - Data not available. 1 Excludes live births with unknown birthweight. Percent based on live births with known birthweight. 2 Trend data for Hispanics and non-Hispanics are affected by expansion of the reporting area for an Hispanic-origin item on the birth certificate and by immigration. These two factors affect numbers of events, composition of the Hispanic population, and maternal and infant health characteristics. The number of States in the reporting area increased from 22 in 1980, to 23 and the District of Columbia (DC) in 1983-87, 30 and DC in 1988, 47 and DC in 1989, 48 and DC in 1990, 49 and DC in 1991-92, and 50 and DC in 1993 (see Appendix I, National Vital Statistics System). 3 Includes mothers of all races. 4 Percent based on live births with known smoking status of mother and known birthweight. Includes data for 43 States and the District of Columbia (DC) in 1989, 45 States and DC in 1990, and 46 States and DC in 1991-93, and 46 States, DC, and New York City (NYC) in 1994-96. Excludes data for California, Indiana, and New York (but includes NYC in 1994-96), and South Dakota (1989-96), Oklahoma (1989-90), and Louisiana and Nebraska (1989), which did not require the reporting of mother's tobacco use during pregnancy on the birth certificate (see Appendix I). NOTES: The race groups, white and black, include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Conversely, persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Data computed by the Division of Health and Utilization Analysis from data compiled by the Division of Vital Statistics; Ventura SJ, Martin JA, Curtin SC, Mathews, TJ. Report of final natality statistics, 1996. Monthly vital statistics report; vol. 46. Hyattsville, Maryland: 1998; Report of final natality statistics, for each data year 1970-95. Monthly vital statistics report. Hyattsville, Maryland. Suggested citation: National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 1998 With Socioeconomic Status and Health Chartbook. Hyattsville, Maryland: Public Health Service, p 181. 1998. (The NCHS Web site contains instructions to download the AcrobatÆ reader required to view this publication.) About NCHS | News Releases | What's New Publications and Information Products | (CDC) Privacy Policy Notice Coming Events | Data Warehouse | FASTATS A to Z Search | How To... | Other Sites | Employment Frequent Questions | E-mail | Customer Satisfaction Survey Surveys and Data Collection Systems CDC | Text-based Table of Contents [Home button] Updated 11/13/98