Low Birthweight
type: Dataset
description: Note: This dataset will not be receiving updates through this portal. Please refer to the [Public Health Scotland Open Data](https://www.opendata.nhs.scot/dataset/births-in-scottish-hospitals/resource/a5d4de3f-e340-455f-b4e4-e26321d09207) platform for the relevant data. Low weight live full term singleton births (under 2500g). The 3 year aggregate shown is for financial year ending 31 March and refers to the year of discharge from hospital. Low birthweight (LBW) is a major determinant of infant mortality and morbidity. In addition, as it is associated with a variety of social and environmental factors, it is often used as a health status indicator. Low birthweight may result from being born too soon (i.e. a preterm birth), from poor intrauterine growth or from a combination of the two. A number of factors are associated with low birthweight and/or preterm births. These include maternal smoking, maternal age (older and younger mothers are more likely to have a low birthweight baby), deprivation, previous obstetric history, low pre-pregnancy maternal weight, drug/alcohol use, hypertension and multiple births. More information is available on the [ISD website](http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Maternity-and-Births/Births/).
issued: 2026-08-20T16:27:12.067405
modified: 2026-08-20T17:09:44.349913
version notes: In February 2019, we updated our methodology for allocating datazones to higher geographies to align with Government Statistical Service Geography Policy. This resulted in revisions to some aggregated figures at Electoral Ward and Scottish Parliament Constituency level.
contact point: Kind
contact point: Organization
theme: Health and Social Care
accuracy: There is generally around a 1-4% shortfall in the number of births when compared to National Records of Scotland (NRS) birth registrations, formerly General Register Office Scotland (GROS). Some of this shortfall is due to data on home births not being available from SMR02 and lower submission levels from some NHS boards.
comment: Number, and percent, of low birthweight (less than 2500g) babies (single births).
completeness: Not assessed
confidentiality: Note that some information may have been suppressed or adjusted to preserve patient confidentiality.
consistency: Due to differences in methodology and time of data extraction, figures may differ slightly from other published work. Figures for Scotland and Health Boards may differ from the sum of lower level geographies. This is due to the presence of some data which could not be assigned to a local area, but are included in the aggregated Scotland figures.
geographical coverage: S01
geographical coverage: S02
geographical coverage: S03
geographical coverage: S08
geographical coverage: S12
geographical coverage: S13
geographical coverage: S16
geographical coverage: S92
license id: uk-ogl
quality management: SMR02 data are subjected to validation on submission. The figures are compared to previous years' figures and to expected trends. The SMR02 data are also occasionally assessed for accuracy by ISD's Data Quality Assurance - see latest report [Data Quality Assurance](http://www.isdscotland.org/Products-and-Services/Data-Quality)
reference period: PeriodOfTime
  end date: 2019
  start date: 2000
timeliness: Not assessed
uniqueness: Not assessed
update frequency: annual
validity: Not assessed
will be updated: false

low-birthweight.csv
type: Distribution
description: Data file for Low Birthweight
format: CSV
issued: 2026-08-20T16:29:22.348534
modified: 2026-08-20T16:29:22.319448
table schema: Schema
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: GeographyType
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: GeographyName
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Units
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: GeographyCode
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Birth Weight
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Value
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: DateCode
  column: Column
    datatype: text
    name: Measurement
access URL: https://admin.data.gov.scot/resource/37a8d02b-1b04-4da4-bf4d-6aca68034229/download
comment: Number, and percent, of low birthweight (less than 2500g) babies (single births).
dictionary: Column
  column: Birth Weight
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyName
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyType
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: GeographyCode
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Measurement
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Units
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: Value
  type: text
dictionary: Column
  column: DateCode
  type: text

Public Health Scotland
type: Agent

Health and Social Care
type: Concept