Glasgow City Region

Low birth weight, Glasgow City Regions councils

Glasgow's rate of low birth weight has decreased over the time period from 7.7% in 2004/05-2006/07 to around 6% in the most recent period (2016/17-2018/19). The level of low birth weight births in Glasgow is now beneath that in West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, where levels of low birth weight births have risen in recent years.

The rate of low birth weight babies has remained lower in East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire than in other parts of the city region.

Note

Scottish Morbidity Records for maternities (SMR02) have been used here to calculate the proportion of babies born with low birth weights (<2500g). The data have been aggregated into rolling groups of three fiscal years to produce annual averages. 

Further explanation:
A birth weight of less than 2500g (approx 5lbs 8oz) is categorised as “low birth weight”. The figures presented are for singletons only, i.e. they exclude twins, triplets and other multiple births.

Low birth weight can be the end result of many different processes, including prematurity, poor nutrition, and exposure to toxins (such as nicotine) in the womb. Babies with low birth weight are more likely in adult life to have high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and non-insulin dependent diabetes.