Low birthweight and preterm birth: trends and inequalities in four population-based birth cohorts in Pelotas, Brazil, 1982–2015

Abstract

Data from four birth cohorts show that preterm births increased markedly. Mean birthweights remained stable over a 33-year period. Increased prevalence of preterm and early term births, associated with high levels of obstetric interventions, has offset the expected improvements due to reduction in risk factors for low birthweight.

Exploring the association between adverse maternal circumstances and low birth weight in neonates: a nationwide population-based study in Bangladesh

“…Worldwide efforts have been made to reveal the aetiology and identify the risk factors of LBW but these can be complex and vary among regions. Previous research findings from developed and developing regions suggest that potential risk factors for LBW include a history of premature delivery, 17 maternal younger age (<18 years) and advanced age (>34 years) at childbirth, 17 18 insufficient prenatal care, 1 18 19 underweight mother, 18 20 shorter birth interval, 20 hard work and low nutritious food consumption during pregnancy, 17 antepartum haemorrhage and anaemia, 19 hypertension disorder and diabetes during pregnancy. 21 Various sociodemographic factors affecting mothers such as living in rural territories, 1 illiteracy, 1 18 poor economic status 1 20 and victims of any kind of intimate partner violence (IPV) either physical, sexual or mental 22 are also significantly associated with risk factors for LBW.…”

Twin Births In The Pelotas (Brazil) 2004 And 2015 Birth Cohorts&nbsp;

“…(37,38) The increase in prematurity among twins differs from the relative stability in the overall prematurity rate in births in Pelotas during this period (13.7% in 2004 and 13.8% in 2015). (27) Multiple pregnancies are the principal factor independently associated with spontaneous preterm births in Brazil, (39) and twin pregnancies are also risk factors for medically induced preterm births. (40) In the two cohorts, all unfavorable perinatal outcomes were worse in second-born than rst-born twins.…”

“…In the 2015 cohort, gestational age was calculated on the basis of DLM and obstetric ultrasound tests (about 85% of the mothers had ultrasound records from the rst or second trimester). (27) For the analysis, gestational age was divided into three categories: < 34, 34-36, and ≥ 37 weeks. Five-minute Apgar score less than 7 and admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were extracted from the hospital les.…”

Letter from Brazil

“…Smoking during pregnancy has declined by 52.8% in the 33 years from the first (1982) to the latest birth cohort (2015). However, the reduction has been quite different according to the socio‐economic position of women: 92.4% among rich women against only 23.9% among poor pregnant women …”

“…However, the reduction has been quite different according to the socio-economic position of women: 92.4% among rich women against only 23.9% among poor pregnant women. 4 At the moment, instability in the economic and political scenario in Brazil may jeopardize some of the improvements in health achieved since the 1990s due to a significant poverty reduction in Brazil. On the 26 March 2019, the Brazilian Minister of Justice created a working group for studying the possibility of reducing taxes on cigarettes, to fight cigarette smuggling in our country (resolution number 263/2019 on the Official Journal of Brazil).…”