Abstract:
Human reproduction patterns are considered critical factors influencing the morbidity and the perinatal mortality. These factors have negative biological effects, particularly when they are the consequence of high fecundity, i.e. high parity, aged mothers, and short intervan between pregnancies. Since the majority of the studies have only occasionally included control for associated variables both with birth weight and with the human reproduction patterns (HRP) the basic problem remain the identification of markers associated to or separated from the causal determinants. The purpose of this presentation is to describe and comment the main findings of a study of the effect of the HRP on the frequency of low birth, premature and intrauterine growth retarded new born in a society under transition from survival economy to an industrial economy i.e. exonomic, demographic, epidemiologic and educational transition. The risk of delivering a premature infant (normal weight for gestation age, and equal or less than 36 weeks of gestation) was present in mothers with parity 2 to 5 and intergenesic interval of less than 18 months. When maternal age, parity and intergenesic interval were group together 8 patterns were obtained. The RP’s revealed that the highest risk was given by pattern VII(mother age more than 35 ys., parity 2 or more and intergenesic interval of less than 18 months). Pattern I (Maternal age 13-19 ys., first parity) showed a puntual risk value for prematurity of 1.7. This is considered the risk of a teen-ager of a premature delivery in this culture. In regard to intrauterine growth retarded new born HRP of high risk were patterns V (age 20-34 ys., parity two or more and intergenesic interval of less than 18 months) and HRP I (adolescent mother; first pregnancy).Of the contextual variables the most important to control for in pattern I is mother’s height, particularly in regard to intrauterine growth retardation (intrauterine malnutrition in these communities). Low weight of the mother appeared as an increased risk for low weight in adolescent mother’s. Some public health recommendations born of these findings are discussed either as short-term on long-term measures.
Page(s):
79-93
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Proceedings of Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Volume: 33, Issue: 1--2, Year: 1996