Table 1 Descriptive characteristics of mothers and live births, South Carolina, 1995–2005 (N = 362,625*)

Mothers education

  11^th grade or less

  12^th grade, high school diploma, GED

  College/degree

Race/ethnicity

  European American, non-Hispanic

  African American, non-Hispanic

  Hispanic/other

Prenatal care (Kotelchuk Index)

  Inadequate

  Intermediate

  Adequate

  Adequate plus

Smoking status during pregnancy

  Smoker

  Non-smoker

Low birth weight

  <2,500 grams

  ≥2,500 grams

Preterm birth

  <37 weeks clinical gestation age

  ≥37 weeks clinical gestation age

Number of previous live births and stillborns

  0

  1

  ≥2

Mother’s age, years (median [range])