Schwartz I L
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson 85724.
West J Med. 1990 Jun;152(6):725-8.
Low birth weight is the major determinant of infant mortality. Continuing declines in infant mortality in the United States are due to the use of neonatal intensive care services; less progress has been made toward preventing low birth weight. I examined how the demographic, socioeconomic, and health services use variables affected rates of low birth weights in Pima County, Arizona, in 1985. Women at greatest risk of having the smallest infants were those younger than 21 years and those with fewer than 6 prenatal visits. Nulliparous women with fewer than 6 prenatal visits showed a still greater risk of having an infant of low birth weight. Women without medical insurance coverage had babies with the lowest mean birth weights, as well as significantly fewer prenatal visits. As the number of uninsured in the United States increases, the effect of lack of insurance among pregnant women becomes increasingly important. To prevent low-weight births, comprehensive maternity care services must be available to all pregnant women regardless of ability to pay.
低出生体重是婴儿死亡率的主要决定因素。美国婴儿死亡率持续下降归因于新生儿重症监护服务的使用；在预防低出生体重方面进展较小。我研究了1985年亚利桑那州皮马县的人口统计学、社会经济和医疗服务使用变量如何影响低出生体重发生率。生育最小婴儿风险最高的女性是年龄小于21岁以及产前检查少于6次的女性。产前检查少于6次的未生育女性生出低出生体重婴儿的风险更高。没有医疗保险的女性所生婴儿的平均出生体重最低，且产前检查次数明显更少。随着美国未参保人数的增加，孕妇缺乏保险的影响变得越来越重要。为了预防低体重儿出生，必须向所有孕妇提供全面的孕产妇保健服务，无论其支付能力如何。
