Infants born with low birthweight are more likely to have health problems and require specialized medical care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Low birthweight is typically caused by premature birth and fetal growth restriction. Factors impacting the likelihood of low birthweight include the pregnant person's race, age, health, and being pregnant with multiples (e.g., twins, triplets). Smoking, drinking alcohol, and substance misuse during pregnancy can also increase the risk for having an infant with low birthweight (March of Dimes).  

Considerations for Equitable Approaches: Being a member of a group that experiences the effects of racism and health disparities can increase the risk of having an infant with low birthweight (March of Dimes). Nationally, non-Hispanic Black infants are almost twice as likely to be born with low birthweight (National Center for Health Statistics). Educating the public and health care providers, broadening access to quality health care services, promoting healthier physical and social environments, supporting innovative research, and advocating for efforts to address racial and social inequalities can be effective tools in reducing disparities in preterm births and low birthweight (American Public Health Association).  

Inclusive Language Recommendations: As not all people who are pregnant identify as women, recommendations for more gender-inclusive language include using "pregnant people" and "pregnant patients" or other wording as applicable when referring to general recommendations for pregnancy (National Institutes of Health).