Patients at high risk for low-birth-weight delivery.

A retrospective analysis of 8,839 singleton deliveries was undertaken to determine the relationships of maternal age, maternal hemoglobin concentrations, and past obstetric performance to the incidence of low-birth-weight (LBC) delivery. Patients under 19 years of age and patients with hemoglobin values less than 9.0 Gm. per 100 ml. were found to have significantly higher incidences of LBW deliveries. In addition, the incidence of LBW delivery was found to vary in proportion to the number of previous LBW deliveries and inversely with the number of previous term deliveries.