Maternal work and infant health in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

This comparative study aimed to examine the effects of maternal work on infant health in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia. Many aspects of infant health were compared between two groups, one of working and the other of non-working mothers. Data were collected from family records kept at primary health care centers as well as by direct interview with 128 working and 512 non-working mothers with children who had completed their first year of life. Results showed that working mothers spent significantly less time on infant care than non-working mothers. Infants of working mothers were more likely to be of heavier weight, with a larger mid-arm circumference, and more likely to show above normal growth than infants of non-working mothers. None of the working mothers exclusively breast-fed their babies during the first four months of age. These mothers were more likely to give their babies bottle feeds, start weaning earlier and introduce solid foods earlier. Infants of working mothers are more likely to suffer from diarrhea and acute respiratory infections and make more visits to health centers because of illness. Also, they are more likely to be hospitalized than infants of non-working mothers. Vaccination coverage did not differ between the two groups of infants. Maternal work adversely affects some aspects of infants' health, especially breast-feeding and morbidities. This could be mitigated by prolonged paid maternal leave or providing flexible working conditions so as not to interfere with breast-feeding