Background
Unplanned pregnancy is a significant public health problem, especially in low- to middle-income countries. The objective of this study was to determine the neonatal outcomes associated with unplanned pregnancy in a public hospital in southern Peru.
Methods
A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from June to August 2021 among 306 mothers and their newborns selected by convenience sampling. After obtaining informed consent, mothers were surveyed during their postpartum hospitalization about their pregnancy intentions. Unintended pregnancy was considered when it was mistimed or unwanted. Neonatal outcomes were assessed by reviewing medical records prior to discharge, evaluating the presence of low birth weight, insufficient birth weight, prematurity, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and neonatal mortality. Association was measured in terms of prevalence ratio (PR) and beta coefficient and respective 95% CIs, crude and adjusted for variables that obtained a value of p<0.20 in the crude model (maternal age, education and parity).
Results
The overall unplanned pregnancies was 65%, of which 40.5% were mistimed pregnancies and 24.5% unwanted pregnancies. Unplanned and mistimed pregnancies were significantly associated with insufficient birth weight [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR)=2.14; 95% CI 1.01 to 4.56 and aPR=2.43; 95% CI 1.09 to 5.39, respectively] and unwanted pregnancies were significantly associated with preterm birth (aPR=3.49; 95% CI 1.01 to 12.11). Furthermore, adjusted analysis showed that birth weight and gestational age were lower in unplanned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies.
Conclusions
Unplanned pregnancy was associated with lower birth weight and shorter gestational age of newborns. These data collected in a public hospital in a developing country may have significant implications today. If pregnancy intention is not included as a neonatal risk factor, insufficient birth weight and preterm birth could increase because a higher proportion of births will be unplanned.
En Perú cada año se realiza el Congreso Científico Nacional (CCN) de Estudiantes de Medicina, un evento organizado por la Sociedad Científica Médico Estudiantil Peruana (SOCIMEP) que desde 1987 reúne a estudiantes de 40 facultades de medicina del país con el objetivo de promover la investigación científica durante el pregrado. Para cumplir con este propósito, en cada CCN se realiza un concurso científico que evalúa y premia los mejores trabajos en tres modalidades: trabajos de investigación, proyectos de investigación y casos clínicos.
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