Strategic Spartanburg

The cost of hospitalization for each low birth weight baby in Spartanburg County in the period 1999-2001 was $17,847 compared to the $2,417 average cost of a normal delivery. Low birth weight may be a result of delayed or incomplete prenatal care and may indicate limited access to care. The National Center for Health Statistics attributes the rise of low birth weight babies to the increase in mothers giving birth to multiple babies, who weigh less.