High-risk young mothers

Infant mortality and morbidity in four areas in the United States, 1973-1978

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11032809
AutoresMarie C McCormick, S Shapiro (0009-0000-3442-4002), Barbara Starfield
Año1984
Volumen74
Número1
Páginas18-23
Fecha de publicación1984-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
EditorialAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.74.1.18
PMID6689836
OpenAlexW2096548921
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas20
Referencias citadas16

An examination of the changes in infant mortality and morbidity in four regions in the United States has revealed high levels of health problems among the infants of two groups of mothers: those less than or equal to 17 years and 18-19 year-old multiparas, many of whom began their childbearing under age 18. Despite decreases over the period of observation, neonatal mortality rates remain over one and a half times as high for infants of these mothers as for other mothers, largely due to the relatively high proportion of low birthweight (LBW) infants born to these mothers. Post-neonatal mortality rates also remain high, and may be increasing; this change cannot be explained solely by differences in proportion of LBW infants between these and older mothers. Both the high post-neonatal mortality rates and the type of morbidity experienced by surviving infants is consistent with the socioeconomic disadvantage of young mothers. The data further indicate the limited resources available to these mothers to cope with their children's health needs, and their potential vulnerability to decreases in public programs supporting child health care

Environmental health · Infant mortality · Low birth weight · Population · Pregnancy · Public health · Socioeconomic status · Vulnerability (computing) · Child and Adolescent Health · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine · Pediatrics