ResearchObstetricsLate recognition of pregnancy as a predictor of adverse birth outcomes
Section snippets
Study design
This study was a secondary analysis of 5 annual data cohorts (2000-2004) collected through the PRAMS program in the United States. The PRAMS data are derived from an ongoing, cross-sectional, population-based survey designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).12, 13, 14, 15 The data are representative of women of childbearing age in 29 US states, who had live births within the 2-6 months prior to being contacted for participation in the study.
The PRAMS data are also linked
Results
The mean age of women in the study population was 27 years. The women were predominantly non-Hispanic white (65.6%) and married (67.1%). A substantial percentage of the population (41.2%) was comprised of first-time mothers (had no prior birth). About 40% of the women received Medicaid sometime before or during their pregnancy, and 44% were on public assistance. Fourteen percent of the women continued to smoke during pregnancy, and 6.1% drank alcohol during their third trimester.
Recognition of
Comment
Late recognition of pregnancy was significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes, including increased odds of preterm birth, LBW, and NICU admission. The associations between the time of pregnancy recognition and adverse birth outcomes might appear moderate, with odds ratios usually not deviating from unity by more than 10%. However, it is important to note that these odds ratios reflect associations after adjusting for smoking, drinking, and other variables known to be associated with
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge the suggestions and guidance provided by Larry Hembroff, Audrey Gift, Renee Canady, and Linda Spence, of Michigan State University, during the design and analysis of this study. The authors also acknowledge the support of all the PRAMS Working Groups: Alabama, Albert Woolbright, PhD; Alaska, Kathy Perham-Hester, MS, MPH; Arkansas, Gina Redford, MAP; Colorado, Alyson Shupe, PhD; Florida, Helen Marshall; Georgia, Carol Hoban, MS, MPH; Hawaii, Limin Song, MPH, CHES; Illinois,
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Home pregnancy test use and timing of pregnancy confirmation among people seeking health care
2022, ContraceptionCitation Excerpt :Early discovery of pregnancy is beneficial for reproductive health and autonomy. For those who go on to give birth, identifying pregnancy early allows for entry into prenatal care in the recommended first trimester and allows for risk reduction activities promoting healthy fetal development[1]. For those who seek an abortion, earlier pregnancy awareness expands method options to include medication abortion, reduces costs of care and lowers the chance of complications [2–4].
Timing of pregnancy discovery among women seeking abortion<sup>,</sup>
2021, ContraceptionPredictors of timing of pregnancy discovery
2018, ContraceptionCitation Excerpt :Associations between the timing of pregnancy discovery and gravidity and/or parity are inconsistent [2,9]. Smoking is also associated with later pregnancy discovery [1,9]. Qualitative findings among women up to 1 year postpartum suggest that in addition to missing a menstrual period, most women needed to experience other symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea, dizziness, and fatigue before seeking pregnancy testing [12].
Time from pregnancy recognition to prenatal care and associated newborn outcomes
2010, JOGNN - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal NursingCitation Excerpt :The time of recognition of pregnancy was dichotomized into “early” and “late” recognition: we defined early pregnancy recognition as the time when women reported that they became sure of their pregnancies within the first 6 weeks (calculated from their last menstrual period); late pregnancy recognition was defined as recognition occurring more than 6 weeks after the last period. This categorization was consistent with the cutoff used in a previous study (Kost, Landry, & Darroch, 1998) and found achievable in a related study (Ayoola et al., 2009). Women were included in the analysis if they had at least one prenatal visit reported on either the PRAMS survey or the birth certificate.
Maternal disease factors associated with neonatal jaundice: a case–control study
2022, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
This study was supported in part by the American Nurses Foundation/Midwest Nursing Research Society, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, and Michigan State University.
Cite this article as: Ayoola AB, Stommel M, Nettleman MD. Late recognition of pregnancy as a predictor of adverse birth outcomes. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;201:156.e1-6.