The hospitalization cost for low-birth-weight babies, he said, "is one of the most important factors in rising hospital costs."

Also, about $1.5 billion a year is spent to cover the hospital bills of the nation's low-birth-weight babies.

It seems to happen more often in premature and low-birth-weight babies.

Pinto-Martin says the autism rate may be even higher among the low-birth-weight babies born today.

But these low-birth-weight babies, there's almost nothing anyone can do.

Such low-birth-weight babies are much more likely to have long-term learning deficits and other serious medical problems.

Teens are at a higher risk of having a premature birth, a low-birth-weight baby, and more.

Pregnant women who do not receive early care are four times more likely to have a low-birth-weight baby.

These girls are more likely to drop out of school and have low-birth-weight babies with subsequent health problems.

Now, new research confirms that mothers of very low-birth-weight babies often have long-term medical issues themselves.