AN UPDATE ON NEW-YORK-CITY DRAMATIC INCREASE IN LOW BIRTH-WEIGHTS

Monthly time-series data on rates of low birthweight and very low birthweight in New York City from 1963 to 1990 indicate that the dramatic increase, particularly among Blacks beginning in 1984, appears to have peaked in 1988. Based on vital statistics records, the rate of low birthweight for Blacks fell from 13.1% in 1988 to 12.1% in 1990. The rate of low birthweight among Whites and Hispanics has fallen slightly since 1988.