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Studies Have Noted A Greatly Eievated Rate Of Anomalies Among Lowbirth Weight Infants From This Study Substantiate Those Findings

present malf orrnation rates by weight in 500-gram intervals by race of child. The rate of congenital malformations for babies of low birth weight in 1973-74 was about 2 1/2 times as high as that for babies with more adequate birth weights (1,894.1 compared with 727.1 per 100,000 live births). Infants with the very lowest birth weights had a greatly increased risk of being born with an anomaly. For births of 1,500 grams (3 pounds 4 ounces) or less the rate was 2,146.4, and for births of 1,501 to 2,000 grams (3 pounds 5 ounces to 4 pounds 6 ounces) the rate was 2,454.1. It is likely that the slightly lower congenital anomaly rate for births of 1,500 grams or less compared with births in the next higher weight group is due to the proportionately greater number of fetal deaths in the lower weight group.

With increasing weight, the congenital anomaly rate declined sharply, reaching a low of 636.9 for births of 3,501 to 4,000 grams (7pounds 12 ounces to 8 pounds 13 ounces). However, the incidence again rose for heavier than average babies, increasing to 929.1 for babiesweighing 4,501 grams (9 pounds 15 ounces) or more. This rise is probably a reflection of a higher incidence of anomalies for birtbs to diabetic mothers. Such infants tend to be Iarge,and it is weIl established that maternal diabetesis associated with a number of congenital malformations.

There are marked differences in the incidence of malformations between white and Negro babies of low birth weight. White babies weighing 2,500 grams or less were nearly twice as likely as Negro babies of this birth weight to have a congenital anomaly (2,176.7 compared with 1,126.0 ). However, racial differences were considerably reduced with increasing weight, and for two of the higher weight categories the incidence of anomalies was greater for Negro babies than for white babies (figure 2). Variations in incidence by weight were observed for nearly all of the 19 anomalies studied. The greatest dissimilarity in rates by weight was observed for anencephalus. The risk of this defect was 81 times as great for babies weighing 1,500 grams or less-as for babies weighing 4,001-4,500 grams.

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