Clinical Evaluation of Unmarried Maternal Neonates Admitted to NICU

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was done to see whether neonates born to unmarried mothers have higher rates of prematurity, low birth weight, perinatal morbidity and mortality than normal married group. METHODS: 88 neonates of unmarried mothers who were admitted in our NICU during the 5-year period from January 1987 through December 1991 were evaluated, and as the control group served 276 neonates of married mothers in 12 randomly selected weeks extended over the year during the same period. In statistical analyses, all data were analyzed by x2 test, Student t-test, and regression equation. RESULTS: 1) Unmarried mothers were 19.9+/-2.5(SD) year-old, with the majority(64.8%) falling into to age group between 16 and 20 years, whereas the control group was significantly older with 28.8+/-3.9 years. 2) Sex ratio was 1.38 1, with male prepondering, mean gestational age 35.5+/-3.7 weeks and mean birth weight 2,240+/-640g, in the unmarried group, differing significantly from the control group with 38.5+/-37 weeks and 2,910+/-750g. 3) Incidences of prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) were 70.5% and 75.0%, and total mortality was 28.4%. These values were significantly higher than in the control group, with 22.5%, 32.2%, 7.2%, respectively, and prematurity and LBW rate were also significantly higher in both groups of the same maternal age. Birth weight of unmarried group was significantly lower than control group in the same gestational age. Gestational age, birth weight, mortality rate were not significantly correlated to maternal age in both unmarried and control groups. 4) For the neonates of unmarried mothers, the majority was delivered either by midwife or in local obstetric clinics, and most of them(57.9%) were delivered by induction. 5) Neonatal diseases were jaundice, respiratory distress syndrome(RDS) and infection in the decreasing order, and incidence of RDS was significantly higher than in control group. But the death rate of RDS only tended to be higher in the unmarried-group. CONCLUSIONS: The neonates born to unmarried mothers have significantly higher rates of prematurity, LBW and mortality, and lower birth weight than the control group in the same gestational age. For neonatal diseases, incidence of RDS was significantly higher, and its mortality was significantly higher in the unmarried-group. Awareness on the seriousness of the problems leading to preventive measures against juvenile and unmarried child births, along with improved managements of babies born to unmarried mothers are urgently advocated.