The study examined 380,000 births in the United States from 2012 to 2022 and directly linked family income to a babys health at birth. Mothers with lower incomes had worse outcomes on almost every newborn-health measure the researchers studied, including higher rates of preterm birth, shorter pregnancies, lower average birthweight, and more low birthweight babies.
Overall, the income gap in birth outcomes stayed fairly steady across the decade, but low birthweight rose more sharply among lower-income families than among higher-income families. The study reports that low-income mothers made up about 37% of the sample, defined as living below 200% of the federal poverty level.
The researchers used the CDCs PRAMS survey for maternal and infant data. The PRAMS office was shuttered indefinitely in spring 2025 and may disappear, and the team warned that losing this resource would harm efforts to track maternal and infant health trends. The authors hope their findings will guide policymakers to invest in income support and other social programs. The research appears in JAMA Pediatrics and received NIH grants; contributors include Daniel Collin and Rita Hamad.
Difficult words
- preterm birth — a birth that happens before the pregnancy is complete
- birthweight — weight of a baby at the time of birthlow birthweight
- income gap — difference in outcomes between families with different incomes
- maternal — relating to mothers or pregnancy and childbirth
- sample — group of people chosen for a research study
- shutter — to close a place or stop its workshuttered
- policymaker — people who make public policies and lawspolicymakers
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could income support programs help improve newborn health in your community? Give one or two examples.
- What local services or policies do you think would support low-income pregnant mothers? Explain briefly.
- Why is it important to keep surveys like PRAMS running to track maternal and infant health?
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