Increasing
What does this measure?
The number of babies born with low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams or about 5.5 pounds) expressed as a percentage of all live births.
Why is this important?
Low birth weight is a leading predictor of neonatal death. Low birth-weight infants are also more likely than normal birth-weight infants to experience long-term developmental and neurological disabilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that maternal smoking is the cause of 20% to 30% of all low-weight births in the United States.
How is our region performing?
In 2017, 8.2% of babies in the 9-county region had low birth weights, similar to the statewide rate. Monroe (9.3%), Orleans (7.3%), and Wayne (7.5%) had the highest rates in the region in 2017. Other surrounding counties had lower rates, with the lowest in Seneca and Yates at 3.5% and 4.1% respectively. The City of Rochester consistently had the highest rates of low birth-weight babies in the region, averaging 11% of births since 2000.
Notes about the data
Rates based upon small numbers in some of the geographies can vary widely, making it difficult to distinguish true changes from random fluctuations.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% |
| NYS | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 8% |
| Region | 7% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 8% |
| Monroe | 8% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 9% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| Surrounding Counties | 6% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Genesee | 6% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 6% | 5% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Livingston | 6% | 5% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 5% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Ontario | 6% | 5% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 8% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| Orleans | 6% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 9% | 5% | 9% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 7% |
| Seneca | 7% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 8% | 9% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 4% |
| Wayne | 6% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 8% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% |
| Wyoming | 6% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 8% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Yates | 7% | 8% | 3% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Rochester | 11% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 10% | 11% | 11% | 13% |
| Batavia | 9% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 7% | 4% | 6% | 7% | ||||||
| Canandaigua | 6% | 11% | 3% | 6% | 12% | 9% | 7% | 6% | 12% | 2% | 6% | 7% | ||||||
| Geneva | 11% | 10% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 11% | 6% | 10% | 7% | 10% | 5% | 6% |
Notes: The benchmark for low birth weight is 2500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 307,030 | 308,747 | 314,077 | 324,064 | 331,772 | 338,565 | 351,974 | 354,333 | 347,209 | 336,747 | 325,563 | 319,711 | 315,709 | 315,099 | 318,847 | 320,869 | 321,839 | 318,873 |
| NYS | 20,020 | 19,504 | 19,860 | 19,972 | 20,402 | 20,392 | 20,759 | 20,560 | 20,471 | 20,226 | 19,910 | 19,417 | 18,935 | 18,670 | 18,644 | 18,419 | 18,394 | 18,423 |
| NYS (excluding NYC) | 10,086 | 9,390 | 9,900 | 9,822 | 9,910 | 9,933 | 10,238 | 10,005 | 9,752 | 9,640 | 9,495 | 9,409 | 9,069 | 8,972 | 9,260 | 8,965 | 9,043 | 9,078 |
| Region | 1,048 | 885 | 1,004 | 960 | 979 | 1,059 | 1,097 | 1,025 | 972 | 1,044 | 1,043 | 1,019 | 1,011 | 960 | 1,014 | 974 | 933 | 1,007 |
| Monroe | 727 | 619 | 688 | 660 | 655 | 722 | 759 | 694 | 702 | 740 | 725 | 707 | 720 | 680 | 700 | 673 | 657 | 731 |
| Surrounding Counties | 321 | 266 | 316 | 300 | 324 | 337 | 338 | 331 | 270 | 304 | 318 | 312 | 291 | 280 | 314 | 301 | 276 | 276 |
| Genesee | 40 | 26 | 36 | 39 | 37 | 52 | 49 | 45 | 31 | 44 | 42 | 29 | 35 | 34 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 37 |
| Livingston | 38 | 29 | 43 | 32 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 36 | 32 | 33 | 38 | 29 | 34 | 24 | 22 | 34 | 39 | 29 |
| Ontario | 74 | 53 | 75 | 68 | 63 | 71 | 74 | 80 | 59 | 59 | 79 | 81 | 65 | 69 | 82 | 63 | 52 | 65 |
| Orleans | 34 | 39 | 36 | 25 | 25 | 38 | 25 | 42 | 30 | 35 | 32 | 24 | 23 | 30 | 41 | 33 | 24 | 30 |
| Seneca | 24 | 20 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 25 | 22 | 29 | 11 | 19 | 17 | 30 | 30 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 12 |
| Wayne | 68 | 60 | 67 | 81 | 95 | 55 | 85 | 62 | 81 | 77 | 69 | 70 | 61 | 72 | 70 | 77 | 66 | 71 |
| Wyoming | 25 | 16 | 24 | 15 | 27 | 30 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 29 | 29 | 14 | 25 | 21 | 26 | 19 |
| Yates | 18 | 23 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 8 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 13 |
| Rochester | 415 | 324 | 379 | 343 | 315 | 346 | 407 | 386 | 390 | 377 | 362 | 350 | 371 | 379 | 340 | 344 | 309 | 390 |
| Batavia | 19 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 13 | ||||||
| Canandaigua | 7 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 7 | ||||||
| Geneva | 20 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 17 | 9 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 10 |
Notes: The benchmark for low birth weight is 2500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds.
Worse than NYS by 10% or more
Up to 10% worse than NYS
Equal to or better than NYS| INDICATORS - Grouped by Topic | REGIONAL VALUE | YEAR | NYS COMPARISON | TREND | REGION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prenatal Care | 77% | 2017 |
3
|
0
Maintaining
|
| Prenatal Care, by Race/Ethnicity | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | ||
| Babies Born with Low Birth Weights | 8% | 2017 |
3
|
1
Increasing
|
| Babies Born with Low Birth Weights, Race/Ethnicity, Monroe County | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | ||
| Infant Mortality Rate | 6.7 | 2015-17 |
2
|
0
Maintaining
|
| Infant Mortality Rate, Race/Ethnicity, Monroe County | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | ||
| Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels | 0.9% | 2016 |
2
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Children in Poverty | 20% | 2014-18 |
3
|
1
Increasing
|
| Children in Poverty, Race/Ethnicity | 2014-18 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
| Single-Parent Families | 39% | 2014-18 |
2
|
1
Increasing
|
| Single-Parent Families, by Race/Ethnicity | 2014-18 | 0 | 10 Not Applicable* | |
| Rate of Child Abuse and Neglect | 20 | 2018 |
2
|
1
Increasing
|
| Rate of Foster Care Admissions | 2.3 | 2018 |
2
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Rate of Teen Pregnancy | 2% | 2017 |
3
|
-1
Decreasing
|
| Rate of Teen Births | 13 | 2017 |
2
|
-1
Decreasing
|
Worse than NYS by 10% or more Up to 10% worse than NYS Equal to or better than NYS
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