The objective is to obtain more accurate information relating to the very low birth weight (VLBW) infant, <1500 grams, than is now available from the United States vital records. This objective will be accomplished by the following: 1) mailing or administering a questionnaire to mothers of VLBW infants, mothers of fetal deaths, and a sample of mothers of moderately LBW infants (1500-2499 grams) and normal birth weight infants (greater than or equal to 2500 grams) in order to obtain and verify information from the prenatal, perinatal, and post-neonatal periods; 2) conducting telephone follow-up interviews on non-respondents and incomplete respondents, and a 10 percent sample of study mothers to obtain and/or verify information on the questionnaires; and 3) developing procedures for abstracting information from hospital and physician records, including otherwise unavailable or missing information on morbidity, lifestyle, and socioeconomic indicators of the study subjects. In addition, mortality and results of follow-up evaluations will be available through the first year of life for this birth cohort. Initial analyses of these data focused on the impact of very low birth weight and moderate low birth weight on cognitive development at one year, and the effect of maternal attitudes to weight gain on nutritional status and birth weight outcome.
