HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McCormick, M C Articles by Starfield, B Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by McCormick, M C Articles by Starfield, B

High-risk young mothers: infant mortality and morbidity in four areas in the United States, 1973-1978.

M C McCormick, S Shapiro and B Starfield

An examination of the changes in infant mortality and morbidity in four regions in the United States has revealed high levels of health problems among the infants of two groups of mothers: those less than or equal to 17 years and 18-19 year-old multiparas, many of whom began their childbearing under age 18. Despite decreases over the period of observation, neonatal mortality rates remain over one and a half times as high for infants of these mothers as for other mothers, largely due to the relatively high proportion of low birthweight (LBW) infants born to these mothers. Post-neonatal mortality rates also remain high, and may be increasing; this change cannot be explained solely by differences in proportion of LBW infants between these and older mothers. Both the high post-neonatal mortality rates and the type of morbidity experienced by surviving infants is consistent with the socioeconomic disadvantage of young mothers. The data further indicate the limited resources available to these mothers to cope with their children's health needs, and their potential vulnerability to decreases in public programs supporting child health care.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. G. Phipps and M. Sowers Defining Early Adolescent Childbearing Am J Public Health, January 1, 2002; 92(1): 125 - 128. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. C S Smith and J. P Pell Teenage pregnancy and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes associated with first and second births: population based retrospective cohort study BMJ, September 1, 2001; 323(7311): 476 - 476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. P. Guevara, J. C. C. Young, and B. A. Mueller Do Protective Factors Reduce the Risk of Hospitalization in Infants of Teenaged Mothers? Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, January 1, 2001; 155(1): 66 - 72. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]