Addiction and low birth weight: A quasi-experimental study

The weight distributions, mean weights, mean gestation periods, and per cent under 2501 grams are presented. Matched t-tests were performed on all addict-control groups, for birth weight and gestation period. The mean birth weight of the controls at both Harlem and Beth Israel were significantly higher than those of the addicts, and this was true as well when the Beth Israel group was analyzed according to race. When length of gestation was analyzed in a similar manner, only the difference between the Harlem addict-control pairs approached significance. The other dependent variables were the one and five-minute Apgar scores. Since these scores are discrete evaluations with a limited range and containing pairs which are exactly equal ('ties'), a 'sign-test' was used for this analysis. At Harlem Hospital there were no significant differences in the one and five-minute Apgar scores of the two groups. At Beth Israel Hospital the five-minute Apgar for black addicts and the scores for all addicts (black and white) were lower than those of their respective matched controls at border levels of significance.