1990 Annual Report of Vital Statistics Department of Health, City of New Haven
 

Birth Weight

The average birthweight for the 2,465 babies born in 1990 was 3,216 grams, or slightly more than seven pounds. The average birthweight has remained around the seven pound mark for the 1987-1990 period. There were a total of 238 low birthweight births recorded in 1990 accounting for 10% of all births in that year. There was a slight decrease in the low birthweight ratio from 12% of total births in 1989 to 10% in 1990. Table 2 below lists birthweight in 500 gram increments by race of child.

TABLE 2
Birth Weight by Race
New Haven: 1990

  Total White Nonwhite
<500gm 6 2 4
500 - 999gm 24 8 16
1000 - 1499gm 25 4 21
1500 - 1999gm 51 19 32
2000 - 2499gm 132 39 93
2500 - 2999gm 553 209 344
3000 - 3499gm 888 409 479
3500 - 3999gm 601 336 265
4000 - 4499gm 147 86 61
4500 - 4999gm 26 13 13
5000gm+ 12 5 7
Totals 2,465 1,130 1,335

Nonwhite births had a total of 166 low birthweight in 1990, accounting for 70% of all immature births in that year. Nonwhite births had a higher percentage of immature births than white births in 1990. A total of 72 white births were immature accounting for 30% of the total of immature births.

TABLE 3
Race of Child
by Maturity of Birth
New Haven: 1990

  Total White Nonwhite
Mature (>=2500gm) 227 90% 1,058 94% 1,169 87.0%
Immature (<2500gm) 238 10% 72 6.4% 166 12.4%
Totals 2,465   1,130 46% 1,335 54.0%

 
This document was digitized on April 28, 1999 by Andrew Swan as part of the New Haven Health Project.
http://www.med.yale.edu/newhavenhealth/