Family Income and Low Birth Weight in Term Infants: a Nationwide Study in Israel
Bella Savitsky1, Irina Radomislensky2, Zhanna Frid3
1School of Health Sciences, Ashkelon Academic College, Yitshak Ben Zvi 12, Ashkelon, Israel. savitskyb@gmail.com.
Maternal and Child Health Journal
|February 7, 2022
Summary
Lower income increases the risk of low birth weight (LBW). Income changes also impact infant birth weight, with decreases linked to lower weight and improvements showing a positive trend. Targeted interventions are crucial for disadvantaged groups.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Socioeconomic Determinants of Health
- Perinatal Epidemiology
Background:
- Low Birth Weight (LBW) is a significant global health concern with multifactorial causes.
- Socioeconomic status, particularly income, is hypothesized to influence birth outcomes.
- Understanding the nuanced relationship between income and LBW is critical for effective public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent effect of maternal income on the incidence of Low Birth Weight (LBW).
- To examine how changes in income over time affect infant birth weight.
- To identify other socioeconomic factors associated with LBW.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing the Israel National Insurance Institute (NII) database (2008-2013).
- Included singleton, term births (n=85,605) from 58,454 women.
- Logistic regression with Generalized Estimating Equation and sibling analysis were employed to assess income's impact on birth weight (BW).
Main Results:
- Lower income was significantly associated with increased odds of LBW (OR=1.266).
- Maternal factors like immigrant status (Ethiopian), ethnicity (Bedouin), and maternal age extremes were linked to higher LBW odds.
- A decline in income quartiles correlated with significantly lower birth weight, while income improvement showed a positive association with increased birth weight.
Conclusions:
- Income is an independent determinant of Low Birth Weight.
- Interventions aimed at preventing LBW should prioritize socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
- Addressing income disparities is essential for improving perinatal health outcomes.
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