2000 Articles

Are Babies Normal

Stellman, Steven D.

Clemons and Pagano suggested that certain anomalies in the distribution of birth weights are an artifact of digit bias arising when some hospitals report weight in grams and others in pounds and ounces. In this letter I report yet another administrative source of bias in New York City reports of low birthweight, namely, under-reporting of short-lived infants by hospital staff with incomplete knowledge of Health Code requirements. These infant deaths are often identified by NYC Department of Health inspection of medical records in selected hospitals known to have many high-risk births.