LBW often occurs in babies who are born prematurely, before 37 weeks of gestation. Birth weight of less than 5.5 lbs, or 2500 grams, is considered low birth weight. For comparison, the average birth weight of babies is about 8 lbs. The global prevalence of LBW is 15.5%, which amounts to about 20 million LBW infants born each year, 96.5% of them in developing countries. (or 2,500 grams) is considered to be at increased risk.
For example, smoking during pregnancy may make a baby too small (growth retardation), even if that baby is carried the full 40 weeks of pregnancy. This can happen for many different reasons which may or may not be related. Meaning of low-birth-weight baby.

About 1 in 12 babies (about 8 percent) in the United States is born with low birthweight. Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) baby: A baby born very prematurely weighing between 401 and 1000 grams (about 14 to 35 ounces) at birth. What does low-birth-weight baby mean? Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies are at the lower limits of viability. Information and translations of low-birth-weight baby in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. A baby with low birthweight may have trouble eating, gaining weight and fighting off infections. Definition of low-birth-weight baby in the Definitions.net dictionary. The most common cause of low birth weight in babies is premature birth. For this reason, low birth weight … Some low-birthweight babies may have long-term health problems, too. A Definition of Low Birth Weight. Infant low birth weight (LBW) happens when babies weigh less than 5 pounds and 8 ounces at birth. Any baby born under 5 lbs., 8 oz. b) Table 2– The effect of covariates on the odds ratio of low birth weight, small for gestational age … Preterm birth (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and being small for gestational age, which are the reasons for low-birth-weight (LBW), are also important indirect causes of neonatal deaths. Appendix S2: a) Table 1– The effect of covariates on the odds ratio of low birth weight, small for gestational age and preterm birth among women who were pregnant on October 6 th 2008 (n = 3130) compared with women who were pregnant on October 6 th in the two previous years (n = 6083). LBW contributes to 60% to 80% of all neonatal deaths. The lower a baby's weight at birth, the more … A low birth weight infant can be born too small, too early, or both. If ELBW babies survive, they are at elevated risk for neurological abnormalities, hearing and visual impairment, and developmental delay in infancy.