Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Familial aggregation of low birth weight among whites and blacks in the United States
X Wang1, B Zuckerman, G A Coffman
1Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118, USA.
Insights
Maternal and child birth weights strongly predict sibling low birth weight risk. This familial aggregation of low birth weight impacts both white and black populations in the United States.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal epidemiology
- Human genetics
- Public health
Background:
- Infant birth weight is influenced by maternal and sibling birth weights.
- Previous studies indicate a correlation between birth weights across siblings and between mother and child.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined association of maternal and index child birth weights with the risk of low birth weight in subsequent siblings.
- To assess familial aggregation of low birth weight across racial groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey live-birth cohort.
- Included 1691 white and 1461 black mothers with at least two singleton children.
- Employed multiple logistic regression with generalized-estimation equations, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Low birth weight risk increased significantly with maternal and/or index child low birth weight.
- Adjusted odds ratios for low birth weight in siblings ranged from 2.5 to 15.4 for white mothers and 2.6 to 13.9 for black mothers.
- Findings were consistent across different low birth weight categories and adjusted for multiple maternal and infant factors.
Conclusions:
- A strong familial aggregation of low birth weight exists in both white and black populations in the U.S.
- Maternal and child birth weight are significant predictors of sibling low birth weight risk.
Background:
Studies have shown that the birth weight of infants is correlated with the birth weights of their siblings and their mothers. We investigated whether the birth weights of mothers and index children were jointly associated with the risk of low birth weight in the siblings of the index children.
Methods:
We used data on the live-birth cohort of the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey. The analysis included 1691 white and 1461 black mothers, each of whom had two or more live-born, singleton children. Multiple logistic regression with generalized-estimation equations was used to assess the risk of low birth weight among an index child's siblings. Four groups were studied: that in which neither the mother nor the index child had low birth weight (group 1), that in which only the mother had low birth weight (group 2), that in which only the index child had low birth weight (group 3), and that in which both the mother and the index child had low birth weight (group 4). There was adjustment for other maternal and infant covariates.
Results:
Among white siblings in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, 3.6, 8.3, 21.2, and 38.9 percent, respectively, had low birth weight, as compared with 8.0, 19.0, 31.1, and 57.1 percent of black siblings. When group 1 was used as the reference group, the adjusted odds ratios (and 95 percent confidence intervals) for low birth weight in groups 2, 3, and 4 were 2.5 (1.4 to 4.3), 6.8 (4.7 to 9.8), and 15.4 (9.2 to 25.5), respectively, among white siblings and 2.6 (1.8 to 3.8), 4.7 (3.5 to 6.4), and 13.9 (9.2 to 20.9) among black siblings. These associations were consistently found for birth weights below 1500 g and those ranging from 1500 to 2499 g in both races and after stratification for the mother's age, parity, education, cigarette-smoking status, and weight and height before pregnancy and the infant's sex.
Conclusions:
Although selection and recall biases cannot be excluded with certainty, our data suggest a strong familial aggregation of low birth weight among both whites and blacks in the United States.
Related Concept Videos
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
02:41Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
01:17z Scores and Area Under the Curve
01:29Bias in Epidemiological Studies
01:23Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
01:29Close Relationships and Culture