ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The aim of this study is to establish the epidemiologic profile of 187 illegitimatepregnancies compared topregnancies from married mothers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A transversal retrospective study was carried out in Bizerta from 1990 to 2003. The witness group was constitued by women whose gonna delivery at the same period with p < 0.05. RESULTS: Throughout this study, we have found that single mothers with a mean age of 24 years, are younger than married mothers and has a rural origin and primiparous status. Pregnancy was not followed-up in 70.6% vs. 1.6% and maternal serology was done in 17% vs. 96.8%. 38.4% of new-borns of single mothers were hospitalised (vs. 13.2% in the group witness) for materno-foetal infection (14.4%), respiratory distress syndrome (11.7%), prematurity (9.6%) and intra-uterine growth delay (2.1%). The mortality rate in newborns of single mothers was 5.3%. CONCLUSION: Illegitimate pregnancy is not well followed-up, worst to live and comport a risk for the health and mental in mothers and newborns.