scholarly journals Paternal Involvement and Adverse Birth Outcomes in South Gujarat, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-166
Author(s):  
Nupur B. Godbole ◽  
Megan S. Moberg ◽  
Parth Patel ◽  
Jayesh Kosambiya ◽  
Hamisu M. Salihu ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: While the impact of maternal factors on birth outcomes are widely reported, the extent to which paternal involvement and varying cultural family dynamics influence birth outcomes particularly in an international context, remain understudied. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between paternal involvement and adverse birth outcomes in South Gujarat, India. Methods: An in-person questionnaire was administered to adult women at delivery or during the one-month postpartum visit at New Civil Hospital, in South Gujarat, India between May and June 2016 to assess level of paternal support and attendance at prenatal appointments and household structure. Pregnancy variables including birthweight and gestational age at delivery were collected from maternal and newborn record/chart review. Chi-square and t-test were used to assess demographics, as appropriate. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between paternal involvement and pregnancy birth outcomes. Results: Of the 404 infants born during the study period, 26.7% were premature (<37 weeks gestation) and 29% were of low birth weight (<2500g). More than 40% of the women surveyed reported their in-laws were the primary household decision-makers; however, those who reported high paternal attendance were less likely to report in-laws as the primary decision-maker (p=0.03). Adjusted logistic regression analysis indicated the odds of delivering a low birth weight infant were greater among mothers who reported low paternal support and low paternal attendance at prenatal visits (OR=2.99 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.84-4.86) and OR=2.16 (95% CI: 1.35-3.47), respectively). Conclusion And Global Health Implications: Low paternal support during pregnancy may be a missed opportunity to increase healthy practices during pregnancy as well as decrease the risks associated with limited social support during pregnancy. It is important to consider varying socio-cultural family dynamics in different populations and how they may influence paternal involvement during pregnancy. Key words: • Paternal involvement • Paternal support • Pregnancy complications • Low birth weight • Preterm birth   Copyright © 2020 Godbole et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e022946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie C Momen ◽  
Linn Håkonsen Arendt ◽  
Andreas Ernst ◽  
Jørn Olsen ◽  
Jiong Li ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThis study aims to estimate the association between pregnancy-associated maternal cancers, diagnosed both prenatally and postnatally, and birth outcomes.DesignPopulation-based register study.SettingNational registers of Denmark and Sweden.ParticipantsA total of 5 523 365 children born in Denmark (1977–2008) and Sweden (1973–2006).Primary and secondary outcome measures: gestational age, birth weight, size for gestational age, Apgar score, caesarean section and sex were the outcomes of interest. ORs and relative risk ratios (RRR) with 95% CIs were estimated using logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression, respectively.ResultsIn this study, 2% of children were born to mothers with a diagnosis of cancer. Children whose mothers received a prenatal cancer diagnosis had higher risk of being born preterm (RRR: 1.77, 95% CI 1.64 to 1.90); low birth weight (RRR 1.84, 95% CI 1.69 to 2.01); low Apgar score (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.56); and by caesarean section (OR: 1.69, 95% CI 1.59 to 1.80). Associations moved towards the null for analyses using postnatal diagnoses, but preterm birth (RRR: 1.13, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.17) and low birth weight (RRR: 1.14, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.18) remained statistically significant, while risk of caesarean section became so (OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98). Additionally, statistical significance was reached for large for gestational age (RRR: 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11), high birth weight (RRR: 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.06) and caesarean section (OR: 0.95, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.98).ConclusionsResults suggest an association between pregnancy-associated cancers and adverse birth outcomes in the offspring. While this is strongest for prenatally diagnosed cancers, some smaller associations exist for postnatally diagnosed cancers, indicating that cancer itself could affect fetal development, or that cancer and adverse birth outcomes share risk factors. Future studies on maternal cancer during pregnancy should consider including some postnatal years in their exposure window.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa Abreu ◽  
Rebecca Young ◽  
Ashley Buchanan ◽  
Ingrid Lofgren ◽  
Harriet Okronipa ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives It is unknown whether prenatal lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) affect blood pressure. The cutoffs to define high blood pressure have recently changed and little research has examined the association between the newly proposed blood pressure cutoffs and birth outcomes. Our objectives were to assess 1) the impact of LNS on maternal blood pressure; and 2) the association between blood pressure and birth outcomes. Methods In total, 1320 pregnant women ≤ 20 wk gestation in Ghana were randomized to receive daily either: 1) iron and folic acid (IFA), 2) multiple micronutrients (MMN), or 3) LNS. Blood pressure was measured at enrollment and 36 wk gestation. Gestational age was determined by ultrasound and newborn anthropometry included weight, length, and head circumference. The effect of LNS on maternal blood pressure was analyzed using ANOVA and associations between maternal blood pressure and birth outcomes were examined by linear and logistic regressions. Results Mean (± SD) systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) at 36 wk gestation were 110 ± 11 and 63 ± 8 mmHg, respectively, and did not differ by supplementation group (P > 0.05). At enrollment, higher DBP was associated with lower birth weight and shorter pregnancy duration; 6.6% of women had high SBP (≥ 130 mmHg) and 3.6% had high DBP (≥ 80 mmHg), and women with high DBP had greater odds of low birth weight (adjusted OR = 2.99 (95% CI = 1.04, 8.62)) and preterm birth (3.99 (1.46, 10.86)) but there were no significant associations with SBP. At 36 wk, higher SBP was associated with a lower birth weight, birth length, newborn head circumference, and a shorter pregnancy duration and higher DBP was associated with a lower birth weight and length; 4.3% of women had high SBP and 2.4% had high DBP and women with high DBP had greater odds of low birth weight (4.14 (1.26, 13.62)) but high SBP (≥ 130 mmHg) was not associated with any birth outcomes. Conclusions Daily LNS during pregnancy did not have a significant effect on maternal blood pressure compared with IFA or MMN in this setting. Both higher SBP and higher DBP were associated with a shorter pregnancy duration and birth size; however, only high DBP was associated with adverse birth outcomes. It is unclear whether the new cutoff for high SBP is useful for identifying pregnancies at risk for adverse birth outcomes. Funding Sources Funded through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of California, Davis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Dyer ◽  
Rachel Hardeman ◽  
Dovile Vilda ◽  
Katherine Theall ◽  
Maeve Wallace

Abstract Background A growing body of evidence is beginning to highlight how mass incarceration shapes inequalities in population health. Non-Hispanic blacks are disproportionately affected by incarceration and criminal law enforcement, an enduring legacy of a racially-biased criminal justice system with broad health implications for black families and communities. Louisiana has consistently maintained one of the highest rates of black incarceration in the nation. Concurrently, large racial disparities in population health persist. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of all births among non-Hispanic black women in Louisiana in 2014 to identify associations between parish-level (county equivalent) prevalence of jail incarceration within the black population and adverse birth outcomes (N = 23,954). We fit a log-Poisson model with generalized estimating equations to approximate the relative risk of preterm birth and low birth weight associated with an interquartile range increase in incarceration, controlling for confounders. In sensitivity analyses, we additionally adjusted for the parish-level index crime prevalence and analyzed regression models wherein white incarceration was used to predict the risk of adverse birth outcomes in order to quantify the degree to which mass incarceration may harm health above and beyond living in a high crime area. Results There was a significant 3% higher risk of preterm birth among black women associated with an interquartile range increase in the parish-level incarceration prevalence of black individuals, independent of other factors. Adjusting for the prevalence of index crimes did not substantively change the results of the models. Conclusion Due to the positive significant associations between the prevalence of black individuals incarcerated in Louisiana jails and estimated risk of preterm birth, mass incarceration may be an underlying cause of the persistent inequities in reproductive health outcomes experienced by black women in Louisiana. Not only are there economic and social impacts stemming from mass incarceration, but there may also be implications for population health and health inequities, including the persistence of racial disparities in preterm birth and low birth weight.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 1104-1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Goisis ◽  
Hanna Remes ◽  
Kieron Barclay ◽  
Pekka Martikainen ◽  
Mikko Myrskylä

BackgroundBased on existing studies, there is no conclusive evidence as to whether and why paternal age matters for birth outcomes.MethodsWe used Finnish population registers on 106 652 children born 1987–2000. We first document the unadjusted association between paternal age and the risk of low birth weight (LBW; <2500 g) and preterm birth (<37 weeks’ gestation). Second, we investigate whether the unadjusted association is attenuated on adjustment for child’s, maternal and parental socioeconomic characteristics. Third, by adopting a within-family design which involves comparing children born to the same father at different ages, we additionally adjust for unobserved parental characteristics shared between siblings.ResultsThe unadjusted results show that being born to a father aged 40+, as opposed to a father aged 30–34, is associated with an increased risk of LBW of 0.96% (95% CI 0.5% to 1.3%) and to a younger father (<25) with a 1% (95% CI 0.6% to 1.3%) increased risk. The increased risk at younger paternal ages is halved on adjustment for the child’s characteristics and fully attenuated on adjustment for child/parental characteristics. The increased risk at paternal ages 40+ is partially attenuated on adjustment for maternal characteristics (β=0.62%; 95% CI 0.13% to 1.1%). Adjustment for unobserved parental characteristics shared by siblings further attenuates the 40+ coefficient (β=0.4%; 95% CI −0.5% to −1.2%). Results for preterm delivery are similar.ConclusionsThe results underscore the importance of considering paternal age as a potential risk factor for adverse birth outcomes and of expanding research on its role and the mechanisms linking it to birth outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-214858
Author(s):  
Alicia R Riley ◽  
Daniel Collin ◽  
Jacob M Grumbach ◽  
Jacqueline M Torres ◽  
Rita Hamad

BackgroundThe current US context is marked by extreme right–left partisanship, which means that state policies tend to bundle together and are not experienced in isolation. While prior work has leveraged abrupt shifts in single policies to examine the effects of state policy on birth outcomes, we examined a holistic measure that captures political polarisation.MethodsData were drawn from national birth certificates for 2003–2017 (N=56 770 470). Outcomes included preterm birth, low birth weight, small-for-gestational age and other perinatal health measures. The primary exposure was a composite index of right–left state policy orientation, generated from historical data on 135 state policies. Multivariable regressions were used to estimate the association between state policy orientation and each outcome, adjusting for relevant covariates.ResultsCompared with infants born in states with right-leaning policy orientations, those born in left-leaning states had lower odds of adverse birth outcomes (eg, low birth weight: OR 0.95 (0.93, 0.97), preterm birth: OR 0.94 (0.92, 0.95)). Subgroup analyses revealed stronger associations for US-born and White mothers. With the inclusion of state fixed effects, left-leaning policy orientation was no longer associated with lower odds of adverse birth outcomes. Models were otherwise robust to alternative specifications.ConclusionWhile left-leaning state policy orientation has protective associations with a range of birth outcomes, the associations may be explained by stable characteristics of states, at least during the study period. Future studies should examine state policy orientation in association with other health outcomes and study periods.


2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina P. Alio ◽  
Alfred K. Mbah ◽  
Krupa Shah ◽  
Euna M. August ◽  
Sharon Dejoy ◽  
...  

Prior research indicates that infants with absent fathers are vulnerable to unfavorable fetal birth outcomes. HIV is a recognized risk factor for adverse birth outcomes. However, the influence of paternal involvement on fetal morbidity outcomes in women with HIV remains poorly understood. Using linked hospital discharge data and vital statistics records for the state of Florida (1998-2007), the authors assessed the association between paternal involvement and fetal growth outcomes (i.e., low birth weight [LBW], very low birth weight [VLBW], preterm birth [PTB], very preterm birth [VPTB], and small for gestational age [SGA]) among HIV-positive mothers ( N = 4,719). Propensity score matching was used to match cases (absent fathers) to controls (fathers involved). Conditional logistic regression was employed to generate adjusted odds ratios (OR). Mothers of infants with absent fathers were more likely to be Black, younger (<35 years old), and unmarried with at least a high school education ( p < .01). They were also more likely to have a history of drug ( p < .01) and alcohol ( p = .02) abuse. These differences disappeared after propensity score matching. Infants of HIV-positive mothers with absent paternal involvement during pregnancy had elevated risks for adverse fetal outcomes (LBW: OR = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05-1.60; VLBW: OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.05-2.82; PTB: OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.13-1.69; VPTB: OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.13-2.90). Absence of fathers increases the likelihood of adverse fetal morbidity outcomes in women with HIV infection. These findings underscore the importance of paternal involvement during pregnancy, especially as an important component of programs for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelica Carreira dos Santos ◽  
Alexandra Brentani ◽  
Günther Fink

Abstract Background Low birth weight and prematurity remain leading causes of infant mortality and morbidity globally. Although an extensive literature has highlighted the importance of socioenvironmental characteristics for birth outcomes, the role of indirect violence on health remains fairly understudied. Methods Using geocoded birth records from the ongoing Western Region Birth Cohort ( Região Oeste Coorte – ROC-Cohort) of infants born between 2012-2014 and geocoded crime reports, we assessed the associations between exposure to violent crimes during pregnancy within a 1-km radius of mother’s residence and low birth weight, preterm delivery, and being born small-for-gestational-age. Violent crime exposure was categorized into quintiles. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between violence exposure and birth outcomes. Models were adjusted for sex, maternal age and education, socioeconomic status, and risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and drinking during pregnancy. ResultsAmong the 5,268 infants included, the average crime exposure during the first two trimesters of pregnancy ranged from 0.44 violent crimes in the least exposed quintile to 12.74 crimes in the most exposed. Compared to children with the lowest violence exposure, children in the highest exposure quintile were at higher odds of being born small-for-gestational-age (1.41[1.06-1.89]), preterm (1.35[1.01-1.80]), and low birth weight (1.42[1.03-1.98]). While socioeconomic status and maternal education were positively associated with lower violence exposure, no associations were found between these characteristics and the birth outcomes. Conclusions Higher exposure to external violent crimes in the close vicinity are associated with substantial increases in the odds of adverse birth outcomes. Policies to improve neighborhood safety can contribute not only to the short-term well-being of populations but may also have large social, economic, and health benefits in the long run.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin K Philpott ◽  
Janet A Englund ◽  
Joanne Katz ◽  
James Tielsch ◽  
Subarna Khatry ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), defined as &lt;2500 grams, small-for-gestational-age (SGA), and prematurity, contribute to 60%–80% of infant mortality worldwide and may be related to infections during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess whether febrile human rhinovirus (HRV) illness is associated with adverse birth outcomes. Methods Active household-based weekly surveillance was performed for respiratory illness episodes in pregnant women as part of a community-based, prospective, randomized trial of maternal influenza immunization in rural Nepal. Rhinovirus (HRV) febrile illness episodes were defined as fever plus cough, sore throat, runny nose, and/or myalgia with HRV detected on mid-nasal swab. Multivariate regression analysis evaluated the association between febrile HRV respiratory illness and adverse birth outcomes. Results Overall, 96 (3%) of 3693 pregnant women had HRV-positive febrile respiratory illnesses. Infants born to pregnant women with HRV febrile illness had a 1.6-fold increased risk of being LBW compared with those with non-HRV febrile illness (28 of 96 [38%] vs 109 of 458 [24%]; relative risk [RR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–2.3). No difference in risk of LBW was observed between infants born to mothers with non-HRV febrile respiratory illness and those without respiratory illness during pregnancy (109 of 458 [24%] vs 552 of 2220 [25%], respectively; RR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8–1.2). Conclusions Febrile illness due to rhinovirus during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of LBW in a rural South Asian population. Interventions to reduce the burden of febrile respiratory illness due to rhinovirus during pregnancy may have a significant impact on LBW and subsequent infant mortality.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoda Fotovvat ◽  
Christopher T. Emrich

Abstract Background This study aims to explore the relationship between social vulnerability (SoVI)indicators (race/ethnicity, population structure, socioeconomic status, housing structure, and access/functional needs) with low birth weight (LBW) and preterm delivery (PTD) rates across the Southeastern United States. Methods Annual low birth weight and premature birth rates for all counties were collected between 2000 and 2015. LBW and PTD were recoded into two categories below (0) and above (1) the annual national average for each year. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) was employed to conduct regression analysis to investigate the relationship. Results Twenty-six and twenty-four different social vulnerability indicators were influential in predicting low birth weight rates and preterm delivery across the SE United States from 2005–2015, respectively. Racial and ethnic variables were among the most frequent influential social vulnerability indicators of low birth weights. Like race and ethnicity, counties with low and medium house values have a higher likelihood of low LBW compared to counties with higher house values. Unlike LBW, race and ethnic characteristics influence PTD rates across the study area in different ways. Whereas LBW rates are driven up in counties with low/medium Hispanic populations compared to high percentage counties, PTD is more strongly associated with Black communities. Further, population structure and socioeconomic status indicators provide the most robust indication of counties more likely to have higher PTD than the national average. Conclusion Influential variables point toward a dire need to comprehensively understand the links between social vulnerability and LBW and PTD. Moving toward a comprehensive view of social vulnerability borne out of the hazards literature provides a more robust understanding of the drivers of adverse birth outcomes that has rarely been addressed in the literature.


Author(s):  
Jamie Roberman ◽  
Theophilus I. Emeto ◽  
Oyelola A. Adegboye

Exposure to household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with unclean fuels and indoor smoking has become a significant contributor to global mortality and morbidity, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria. Growing evidence suggests that exposure to HAP disproportionately affects mothers and children and can increase risks of adverse birth outcomes. We aimed to quantify the association between HAP and adverse birth outcomes of stillbirth, preterm births, and low birth weight while controlling for geographic variability. This study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 127,545 birth records from 41,821 individual women collected as part of the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) covering 2013–2018. We developed Bayesian structured additive regression models based on Bayesian splines for adverse birth outcomes. Our model includes the mother’s level and household characteristics while correcting for spatial effects and multiple births per mother. Model parameters and inferences were based on a fully Bayesian approach via Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations. We observe that unclean fuel is the primary source of cooking for 89.3% of the 41,821 surveyed women in the 2018 NDHS. Of all pregnancies, 14.9% resulted in at least one adverse birth outcome; 14.3% resulted in stillbirth, 7.3% resulted in an underweight birth, and 1% resulted in premature birth. We found that the risk of stillbirth is significantly higher for mothers using unclean cooking fuel. However, exposure to unclean fuel was not significantly associated with low birth weight and preterm birth. Mothers who attained at least primary education had reduced risk of stillbirth, while the risk of stillbirth increased with the increasing age of the mother. Mothers living in the Northern states had a significantly higher risk of adverse births outcomes in 2018. Our results show that decreasing national levels of adverse birth outcomes depends on working toward addressing the disparities between states.


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