Citation
Kozuki, Naoko; Lee, Anne C. C.; Silveira, Mariangela F.; Sania, Ayesha; Vogel, Joshua P.; Adair, Linda S.; Barros, Fernando C.; Caulfield, Laura E.; Christian, Parul; & Fawzi, Wafaie W., et al. (2013). The Associations of Parity and Maternal Age with Small-for-Gestational-Age, Preterm, and Neonatal and Infant Mortality: A Meta-Analysis. BMC Public Health, 13(Suppl. 3), S2. PMCID: PMC3847520Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported on adverse neonatal outcomes associated with parity and maternal age. Many of these studies have relied on cross-sectional data, from which drawing causal inference is complex. We explore the associations between parity/maternal age and adverse neonatal outcomes using data from cohort studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).METHODS: Data from 14 cohort studies were included. Parity (nulliparous, parity 1-2, parity [greater than or equal to]3) and maternal age (<18 years, 18-<35 years, [greater than or equal to]35 years) categories were matched with each other to create exposure categories, with those who are parity 1-2 and age 18-<35 years as the reference. Outcomes included small-for-gestational-age (SGA), preterm, neonatal and infant mortality. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated per study and meta-analyzed.
RESULTS: Nulliparous, age <18 year women, compared with women who were parity 1-2 and age 18-<35 years had the highest odds of SGA (pooled adjusted OR: 1.80), preterm (pooled aOR: 1.52), neonatal mortality (pooled aOR: 2.07), and infant mortality (pooled aOR: 1.49). Increased odds were also noted for SGA and neonatal mortality for nulliparous/age 18-<35 years, preterm, neonatal, and infant mortality for parity [greater than or equal to]3/age 18-<35 years, and preterm and neonatal mortality for parity [greater than or equal to]3/[greater than or equal to]35 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Nulliparous women <18 years of age have the highest odds of adverse neonatal outcomes. Family planning has traditionally been the least successful in addressing young age as a risk factor; a renewed focus must be placed on finding effective interventions that delay age at first birth. Higher odds of adverse outcomes are also seen among parity [greater than or equal to]3 / age [greater than or equal to]35 mothers, suggesting that reproductive health interventions need to address the entirety of a woman's reproductive period. FUNDING: Funding was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (810-2054) by a grant to the US Fund for UNICEF to support the activities of the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-S3-S2Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2013Journal Title
BMC Public HealthAuthor(s)
Kozuki, NaokoLee, Anne C. C.
Silveira, Mariangela F.
Sania, Ayesha
Vogel, Joshua P.
Adair, Linda S.
Barros, Fernando C.
Caulfield, Laura E.
Christian, Parul
Fawzi, Wafaie W.
Humphrey, Jean H.
Huybregts, Lieven
Mongkolchati, Aroonsri
Ntozini, Robert
Osrin, David
Roberfroid, Dominique
Tielsch, James M.
Vaidya, Anjana
Black, Robert E.
Katz, Joanne
Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group Small-for-Gestational-Age-Preterm Birth Working Group,