Different effects of maternal and paternal education on early mortality in Norway

In order to separate the effects of maternal and paternal education on pregnancy outcome, a total population of 97,526 single, firstborn infants and their parents was studied. Census information from 1980 was linked to the Medical Birth Registry for 1978-82. Children of parents with high education (> 12 years) were the most likely to survive the first year of life. There was a linear association between parental education and infant mortality. Examining parental education jointly, it was found that the father's educational level had the greatest impact on stillbirth. Mother's educational level seemed to be more closely associated with postneonatal mortality. Possible mechanism to explain the association between educational level and infant mortality are discussed.