Discuss disparities related to ethnic and cultural groups relative to low
According to the World Health Organization, a LBW infant is one born weighing <2500 g (5). Preterm infants are those born at <37 wk from the first day of the last menstrual period, regardless of birth weight, whereas growth-restricted infants are those born weighing less than the 10th percentile of birth weight–for–gestational age, regardless of whether that weight is <2500 g Thus, it is possible for both preterm and growth-restricted infants to weigh >2500 g. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/2/584S.long Low birth weight is a public health problem in many countries; globally an estimated 15 per cent of births result in low-birthweight babies. Those who survive, have impaired immune function and increased risk of disease; they are likely to remain undernourished, with reduced muscle strength, throughout their lives, and to suffer a higher incidence of diabetes and heart disease. Children born underweight also tend to have cognitive disabilities and a lower IQ, affecting their performance in school and their job opportunities as adults. http://www.childinfo.org/low_birthweight.html Preterm is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed. There are sub-categories of preterm birth, based on gestational age:
* extremely preterm (<28 weeks)
* very preterm (28 to <32 weeks)
* Moderate to late preterm (32 to <37 weeks). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs363/en/ * Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of gestation), and this number is rising.
* Over 1 million babies die annually from preterm birth complications.
* Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths (babies in the first four weeks of life) and the second leading cause of death after pneumonia in children under five years.
* Three-quarters of them could be saved with current, cost-effective interventions, even without intensive care facilities.
* Across 184 countries, the rate of preterm birth ranges from 5% to 18% of
* extremely preterm (<28 weeks)
* very preterm (28 to <32 weeks)
* Moderate to late preterm (32 to <37 weeks). http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs363/en/ * Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of gestation), and this number is rising.
* Over 1 million babies die annually from preterm birth complications.
* Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths (babies in the first four weeks of life) and the second leading cause of death after pneumonia in children under five years.
* Three-quarters of them could be saved with current, cost-effective interventions, even without intensive care facilities.
* Across 184 countries, the rate of preterm birth ranges from 5% to 18% of