Perinatal characteristics of newborns relinquished at birth

Demographic, perinatal, and newborn characteristics of single mothers relinquishing their newborns for adoption (N = 111) were compared with randomly selected and matched groups of mothers keeping their infants. Relinquishing mothers were younger, more apt to be Caucasian, Catholic, primiparous, and economically independent of government assistance, less likely to plan their pregnancies, and later starting prenatal care. In general, their pregnancies and infants were at no higher neonatal risk than those of other single mothers.