Low Birth Weight Babies

Causes, Concerns and Outcomes

By Kelly Burgess

Believe in your child and not the prognosis. That's the advice Kim Powell gives parents of low birth weight babies, and it's based upon experience. Powell, professor and department chair of Communication/Linguistics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, is also the author of Living Miracles: Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies (St. Martin's Griffin, 2001), a chronicle of her experiences as the parent of a very low birth weight child.

When Senia Powell was born at 28 weeks weighing just 1 pound, 15 ounces, the doctors could give no guarantees about her long-term prognosis. However, they were generally optimistic and said that they would know when she was about 2 years old if she had any lingering developmental problems. It was when Senia was 2 that Powell met her first pessimist.

"A physical therapist told us Senia would never be athletic or good at any sports because she was not climbing stairs properly and had some balance issues," Powell says. "We thought this prognosis was unfair at an early age, and now our 9-year-old is quite a good swimmer and basketball player."

Senia's story had an ideal outcome, but the problem of low birth weight babies is one that is not to be taken lightly. Low birth weight is defined as a birth weight less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces), while very low birth weight is defined as a birth weight less than 1,500 grams (3 pounds, 5 ounces) and extremely low birth weight as less than 1,000 grams (2 pounds, 2 ounces). By comparison, Senia Powell weighed in at about 500 grams.

In Senia's case, she was born prematurely at 28 weeks. Virtually all premature babies (defined as born prior to the 37th week of pregnancy) are also low birth weight. They account for 60 percent of low birth weight babies. However, a baby can be born full term and still be considered low birth weight. This is known as small for gestational age.

According to the March of Dimes, low birth weight affects about one in every 13 babies born each year in the United States and is a factor in about 65 percent of infant deaths. These babies generally have more health issues as newborns and may face long-term disability or developmental issues. Sometimes those problems can be serious, and include cerebral palsy, mental retardation, learning disabilities and impairment of sight, hearing or lung function.

Want to see more?

• Family-oriented Care: Supporting Families with Premature Babies
• Developmental Difficulties: When Premature Infants Fall Behind
• Cerebral Palsy – An Overview: Part One of a Two-Part Series
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!