Influence on the first few years of life
Children born with an abnormally low birth weight can have significant problems within the first few years of life. They may have trouble gaining weight, obtaining adequate nutrition, and supporting a strong immune system. They also have higher risks for mortality, behavior problems, and mental deficiencies. Low birth weight babies are more likely to develop the following conditions after birth compared to normal birth weight babies:
Breathing problems (infant respiratory distress syndrome)
Bleeding in the brain (intraventricular hemorrhage)
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Retinopathy of prematurity
Jaundice
InfectionsThat said, the effects of low birth weight on a childs first few years of life are often intertwined with other maternal, environmental, and genetic factors and most effects of low birth weight are only slightly negatively significant on a childs life when these factors are controlled for. When these factors are controlled, the only significant effect low birth weight has on a childs development is physical growth in the early years and the likelihood of being underweight compared to normal birth weight babies. Influence on adult life
Studies have been conducted to investigate how a persons birth weight can influence aspects of their future life. This includes theorised links with obesity, diabetes and intelligence. Obesity and diabetes
A baby born small or large for gestational age (either of the two extremes) is thought to have an increased risk of obesity in later life, but it was also shown that this relationship is fully explained by maternal weight.
One way to decrease rates of low birth weight and premature delivery is to focus on the health of women prior to conception through reproductive education, screening and counseling regarding mental health issues and stress, and access to primary care. Racial stress
Non-Hispanic Blacks have the highest infant mortality rate in the United States (11.4 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to the national average of 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births). Subsequently,  there has been growing research supporting the idea of racial discrimination as a risk factor for low birth weight. In one study by Collins et al., evidence suggested that African American mothers who experienced high levels of racial discrimination were at significantly higher risk of delivering a very low-birth weight baby compared to African American mothers who had not experienced racial discrimination. Black infants (13.2%) are more likely to have low birth weight compared to Asian and Pacific Islander (8.1%), American Indian and Alaska Native (7.6%), Non-Hispanic White (7.0%), and Hispanic Infants (7.1%). Environmental factors
Environmental factors, including exposure of the mother to secondhand smoke can be a factor in determining the birth weight of child. In 2014, 13% of children exposed to smoke were born with low birth weight compared with 7.5% of those children born to nonsmokers. Children born to mothers who smoked or were exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop health problems earlier in life such as neurodevelopmental delays.