ABSTRACT
Brazil is one of the top contributors of girl child marriages in the world and one of the United Nations' members that committed to end child marriage by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Child marriage is an indicator of gender inequality associated with poor health outcomes. However, the perinatal epidemiology of minor mothers (<18 years) according to marital status has been insufficiently studied. We used 23,163,209 birth registrations (2011-2018) to describe the sociodemographic distribution of births to minor mothers. The association between adverse outcomes and marital status and maternal age was restricted to 7,953,739 births of mothers aged ≤15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-24 years. Multinomial logistic models were used for very (24-31 weeks) and moderately preterm birth (32-36 weeks), and severe (<3rd percentile) and moderately small-for-gestational age (SGA) (3rd to <10th percentile). Logistic models were used for binary outcomes. The proportion of births to minor mothers in the study period was 8.9%, composed of those of single (6.1%), common-law (2.4%) and married girls (0.4%). Births to minor mothers decreased over time (p-value <0.001), were more common in the North Region (13.2%) and among Indigenous (17.4%). Very and moderately preterm birth increased with decreasing age but within each age group, rates were highest among single, followed by common-law and lowest among married mothers. A similar pattern was observed for SGA, low Apgar and late prenatal care initiation. Repeat birth and low age-appropriate education were less common among married compared to single mothers in all age groups, except among ≤15-year-olds [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 2.56; 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 2.40, 2.74 and AOR: 1.30; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.64, respectively]. The association between perinatal indicators and marital status among adolescents is strongly modified by decreasing maternal age. Marital status is relevant for the understanding of early pregnancies.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The use of local references or standard for neonatal studies still requires their validation through indicators of morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: evaluate the performance of the INTERGROWTH-21st Project (IG-21) standard and a commonly used Argentinian reference (Urquia) by examining the differences in the frequency of growth phenotypes, and the associated neonatal morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of all singleton live-births from Sarda Maternity Hospital (Buenos Aires, Argentina) between 33 and 42 gestational age, using information obtained from a Perinatal Surveillance System (Agustina) dataset between 1996-2001 (n = 25948). Phenotypes small- and large-for-gestational age, stunting and waisting and a composite of neonatal morbidity/mortality (CNMM) were contrasted between the IG-21 standard and Urquia reference. RESULTS: the Urquia 3rd centile value was lower than IG-21 before 37 weeks, but then it surpassed IG-21 until term. Among Sarda , 2.3%, 5.9% and 8.9 were <3rd, <10th and >97th centile, respectively, under the IG-21 standard, while 3.7%, 10.1% and 8.4% were <3rd, <10th and >97th centile, respectively, under the Urquia reference. Stunting and waisting were 16.1% and 0.9%, respectively under IG-21. The IG-21 detection rates of CNMM showed that 28.5%, 19.6% and 8.5% occurred among weight<3rd,<10th and >97th centile, respectively, while 21.8%, 14.2% and 8.0% occurred among <3rd, <10th and >97th centile under the Urquia criteria. Newborn weight <3rd,<10th and >97th centile under IG-21 showed higher neonatal CNMM risk compared with Urquia reference. CONCLUSIONS: The IG-21 standard identified a higher risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality than the Urquia reference.
Introducción: El uso de referencias locales o estándares para estudios neonatales aún requiere su validación a través de indicadores de morbilidad y mortalidad. Objetivo: Comparar la capacidad predictiva del estándar INTERGROWTH-21st (IG-21st) y una referencia argentina (Urquia) mediante los fenotipos de crecimiento fetal y morbi-mortalidad neonatales. Métodos: Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo de recién nacidos vivos entre 33 y 42 semanas del Hospital Materno-Infantil Ramón Sarda (Buenos Aires, Argentina), entre 1996-2001 (n = 25948). Los fenotipos pequeños (PEG) y grandes para la edad gestacional, acortado y emaciado y un índice compuesto de morbilidad / mortalidad neonatal (CNMM) se contrastaron entre IG-21st y la referencia Urquia. Resultados: El 3er percentil del peso al nacer de Urquia fue menor que el de IG-21st antes de las 37 semanas; 2.3%, 5.9% y 8.9 de los RN fueron <3o, <10° y > 97° percentil, respectivamente, bajo el estándar IG-21st, mientras que 3,7%, 10,1% y 8,4% fueron <3 °, <10 ° y> 97 ° percentil, respectivamente, bajo la referencia Urquia. Acortados fueron 16.1% y emaciados 0.9%, bajo IG-21st. CNMM bajo IG-21st fueron 28.5%, 19.6% y 8.5% en peso<3o, <10º y >97º percentil, respectivamente, mientras que 21.8%, 14.2% y 8.0% ocurrieron en peso< 3°, <10° y > 97° percentil bajo Urquia. Acortados fueron 17.3% y emaciados 18.3%. Los RN <3er°, <10° y > 97° percentil bajo IG-21st mostraron mayor riesgo de CNMM en comparación con la referencia Urquia. Conclusiones: El estándar IG-21st identificó mayor riesgo de morbilidad y mortalidad que la referencia Urquia.
