The percent of babies born of low birth weight in Baltimore County has fluctuated from 2009 through 2014, with a five-year trend showing a slight increase. However, while the overall County rate is on a very slight downward trend, there is cause for concern regarding the continuing disparity between the percent of Black infants born of low birth weight and the percent of White, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander infants born of low birth weight. Between 2009 and 2013, the percentage for Black infants averaged 12.1, while the percentages for White, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander infants averaged 7.0, 6.4, and 8.9 respectively. The Baltimore County Department of Health is currently collaborating with the LMB in the collection and review of infant birth and mortality data from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to determine if there are any readily apparent causal trends specific to Baltimore County. This information will serve to inform the planning process for addressing low birth weight among black infants.

• Abilities Network, Inc.
• MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
• Baltimore County Department of Health
• Baltimore County Department of Social Services
• Baltimore County Office of Planning, Homeless Services
• Baltimore County Police Department
• Baltimore County Public Schools
• Creative Kids

Unfortunately, and despite extensive research, little is known regarding the causes of low birth weight. Known risk factors, including cigarette smoking during pregnancy, low maternal weight gain and low pre-pregnancy weight, that contribute to suboptimal growth of the fetus have been shown to cause two thirds of all growth retardation in infants. Other risk factors for low birth weight include black race, first births, female sex, short maternal stature, maternal low birth weight, prior low birth weight birth, maternal illnesses, fetal infections, and a variety of metabolic and genetic disorders. While these risk factors provide important clues about the causes of low birth weight, many of them are only weakly related to low birth weight and generally not modifiable by intervention programs.

One promising area in the prevention of low birth weight is prenatal care. While prenatal care varies tremendously, it usually includes a package of medical care services in a defined schedule of visits and may also include comprehensive educational, social and nutritional services. Some data indicated that women who receive prenatal care have fewer low birth weight babies. Another promising intervention involves temporary and long term relief of the effects of poverty. Although the key to preventing this major public health problem does not appear to lie solely in socioeconomic solutions, finding ways to prevent low birth weight will probably require discovering reasons for the large variations in birth outcomes by socioeconomic status.

The Local Management Board has been working with County, State and private partners to develop a strategic initiative to address healthy birth outcomes by creating a continuum of services that links together programs and services that address specific prenatal and child development needs as well as overarching issues such as access to affordable housing, health care and employment issues. The goal of this initiative is to improve healthy birth outcomes, specifically by lowering the percent of low birth weight births.

Healthy Families Baltimore County is a voluntary home visiting program for parents and children birth through age 5, and is designed to promote positive birth outcomes and healthy child development through a variety of services including parent education and resource linkages. Research shows that Healthy Families increases healthy pregnancy practices, prevents negative birth outcomes (e.g., low birth weight), enhances parenting skills, and promotes linkages with social support systems. Healthy Families is and evidence-based program and is recognized as “effective” by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The Healthy Babies Collaborative is a partnership whose overriding goal is to decrease the percent of low birth weight births in southeast Baltimore County. It formed out of a longstanding coalition, the Southeast Network, whose focus is to improve the quality of life and health status of Eastern Baltimore County residents by providing equity and access to mainstream resources to address basic needs such as health, housing and food. The HBC consists of a group of social service and health providers in the community, including: MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services (Local Management Board, Health Department, and Department of Social Services), Baltimore County Department of Planning, Abilities Network, Inc. (Healthy Families Baltimore County) and Creative Kids, Inc.

The percent of all births and births in selected racial groups with birth weight less than 2,500 grams (approximately 5.5 pounds).