Table 1.
Selected Maternal and Infant Characteristics for Infants Born with SB in Florida, 1998–2007 (n = 615)
| Characteristic | No. | %* |
|---|---|---|
| Maternal characteristics | ||
| Age (in years) | ||
| <20 | 59 | 9.6 |
| 20–24 | 165 | 26.8 |
| 25–29 | 165 | 26.8 |
| 30–34 | 129 | 21.0 |
| ≥35 | 96 | 15.6 |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| Non-Hispanic white | 323 | 52.5 |
| Hispanic | 153 | 24.9 |
| Non-Hispanic black | 129 | 21.0 |
| Marital status | ||
| Married | 368 | 59.8 |
| Not married | 247 | 40.2 |
| Education | ||
| <High school diploma | 138 | 22.4 |
| High school graduate | 213 | 34.6 |
| At least some college | 256 | 41.6 |
| Infant characteristics | ||
| Sex | ||
| Female | 318 | 51.7 |
| Male | 297 | 48.3 |
| Preterm Birth (<37 weeks gestation) | ||
| Yes | 163 | 26.5 |
| No | 449 | 73.0 |
| Low birth weight (<2500 grams) | ||
| Yes | 122 | 19.9 |
| No | 492 | 80.0 |
| Presence of other birth defects | ||
| Isolated (SB only) | 460 | 74.8 |
| Multiple (SB and another birth defect) | 155 | 25.2 |
| Hospitalizations in first year of life | ||
| 1 hospitalization | 232 | 37.7 |
| 2–3 hospitalizations | 275 | 44.7 |
| ≥4 hospitalizations | 108 | 17.6 |
| Deaths in infancy (≤365 days) | 41 | 6.7 |
SB, spina bifida.