Birth weight and later socioeconomic disadvantage: evidence from the 1958 British cohort study

BackgroundNeonatal mortality is a major contributor worldwide to the number of deaths in children under 5 years of age. The primary objective of this study was to assess the overall mortality rate of babies with a birth weight equal or below 1500 g in a neonatal unit at a tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Furthermore, different maternal-related and infant-related factors for higher mortality were analysed.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study which included infants admitted to the neonatal wards of the hospital within their first 24 hours of life and with a birth weight equal to or below 1500 g. Mothers who consented answered a questionnaire to identify factors for mortality.Results173 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants were recruited in the neonatal department between November 2017 and December 2018, of whom 55 died (overall mortality rate 32.0%). Twenty-three of the 44 infants (53,5%) with a birth weight below 1000 g died during the admission. One hundred and sixty-one mothers completed the questionnaire and 45 of their babies died.Main factors associated with mortality were lower gestational age and lower birth weight. Need for ventilator support and sepsis were associated with higher mortality, as were maternal factors such as HIV infection and age below 20 years.ConclusionThis prospective study looked at survival of VLBW babies in an underprivileged part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Compared with other public urban hospitals in the country, the survival rate remains unacceptably low. Further research is required to find the associated causes and appropriate ways to address these.

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Device-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in relation to mental wellbeing: An analysis of the 1970 British cohort study

Preventive Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 145 ◽

pp. 106434

Author(s):

Nipuna Senaratne ◽

Brendon Stubbs ◽

André O. Werneck ◽

Emmanuel Stamatakis ◽

Mark Hamer

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

British Cohort Study

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Comparison of adverse perinatal outcomes between Asians and Caucasians: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-020-03467-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Na Zeng ◽

Erica Erwin ◽

Wendy Wen ◽

Daniel J. Corsi ◽

Shi Wu Wen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Preterm Birth ◽

Cesarean Section ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Perinatal Outcomes ◽

Population Based ◽

Adverse Perinatal Outcomes

Abstract Background Racial disparities in adverse perinatal outcomes have been studied in other countries, but little has been done for the Canadian population. In this study, we sought to examine the disparities in adverse perinatal outcomes between Asians and Caucasians in Ontario, Canada. Methods We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study that included all Asian and Caucasian women who attended a prenatal screening and resulted in a singleton birth in an Ontario hospital (April 1st, 2015-March 31st, 2017). Generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate the independent adjusted relative risks and adjusted risk difference of adverse perinatal outcomes for Asians compared with Caucasians. Results Among 237,293 eligible women, 31% were Asian and 69% were Caucasian. Asians were at an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, placental previa, early preterm birth (< 32 weeks), preterm birth, emergency cesarean section, 3rd and 4th degree perineal tears, low birth weight (< 2500 g, < 1500 g), small-for-gestational-age (<10th percentile, <3rd percentile), neonatal intensive care unit admission, and hyperbilirubinemia requiring treatment, but had lower risks of preeclampsia, macrosomia (birth weight > 4000 g), large-for-gestational-age neonates, 5-min Apgar score < 7, and arterial cord pH ≤7.1, as compared with Caucasians. No difference in risk of elective cesarean section was observed between Asians and Caucasians. Conclusion There are significant differences in several adverse perinatal outcomes between Asians and Caucasians. These differences should be taken into consideration for clinical practices due to the large Asian population in Canada.

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