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Birth order, interpregnancy interval and birth outcomes among Filipino infants

J E Miller1

  • 1Office of Population Research, Princeton University.

Journal of Biosocial Science
|April 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

First births face the most risks. High birth order and short interpregnancy intervals combined increase risks, but this high-risk group is small, limiting overall impact on birth outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Perinatal Epidemiology
  • Demography

Background:

  • Birth order and interpregnancy interval are known factors influencing infant health.
  • Previous research indicates potential risks associated with specific birth circumstances.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the combined effects of birth order and interpregnancy interval on various birth outcomes.
  • To identify specific high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from a longitudinal study of 2063 births in the Philippines.
  • Statistical modeling to assess the impact of birth order and interpregnancy interval on birthweight, gestational age, and other infant metrics.
  • Control for confounding factors including maternal age, education, smoking, health history, and nutritional status.

Main Results:

  • First births were found to be the most disadvantaged across all birth order and spacing categories.
  • Combined risks of short interpregnancy intervals (< 6 months) and high birth order (≥ 5th) were significant.
  • These combined risks were specific to infants with both attributes; no excess risk was observed for lower-order births with short intervals or high-order births with long intervals.
  • The observed patterns held true for all five birth outcomes and neonatal mortality, even after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

  • The combination of high birth order and short interpregnancy interval poses the greatest risk to infant health outcomes.
  • Interventions targeting this specific high-risk group (fewer than 2% of births) may have a limited impact (1-2%) on reducing overall low birthweight and neonatal mortality.
  • Understanding these nuanced relationships is crucial for optimizing maternal and child health strategies.

Keywords:
Age FactorsAsiaBiologyBirth OrderBirth WeightBody WeightDemographic FactorsDeveloping CountriesFamily And HouseholdFamily CharacteristicsFamily RelationshipsFertilityFertility MeasurementsHealthHealth SurveysInfantInfant MortalityLongitudinal StudiesLow Birth WeightMortalityNeonatal MortalityPhilippinesPhysiologyPopulationPopulation CharacteristicsPopulation DynamicsPregnancyPregnancy IntervalsPregnancy OutcomesReproductionResearch ReportSoutheastern AsiaStudiesYouth

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