Changes in perinatal health in two birth cohorts (1997/1998 and 2010) in São Luís, Maranhão State, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Silva,Antônio Augusto Moura da
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Batista,Rosângela Fernandes Lucena, Simões,Vanda Maria Ferreira, Thomaz,Erika Barbara Abreu Fonseca, Ribeiro,Cecília Cláudia Costa, Lamy Filho,Fernando, Lamy,Zeni Carvalho, Alves,Maria Teresa Seabra Soares de Britto e, Loureiro,Flávia Helen Furtado, Cardoso,Viviane Cunha, Bettiol,Heloisa, Barbieri,Marco Antonio
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2015000701437
• topic: Low Birth Weight Infant; Premature Birth; Fetal Growth Retardation; Cesarean Section; Cohort Studies

The objective of this study was to analyze changes in perinatal health in two birth cohorts started in 1997/1998 and 2010, respectively, in São Luís, Maranhão State, Brazil. A total of 2,493 live born infants were included in 1997/1998 and 5,166 in 2010. Low birth weight (LBW) rate did not change (8.5% in 1997/1998 and 8.6% in 2010). Preterm birth (PTB) rate also remained stable (13.2% in 1997/1998 and 13% in 2010). Teenage deliveries and births to single mothers decreased. Maternal schooling and prenatal care coverage increased. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) decreased from 13.3% to 10.6% (p < 0.001). The perinatal mortality rate decreased from 36.6 to 20.7 per 1,000 (p < 0.001) and the infant mortality rate (IMR) dropped from 28.5 to 12.8 per 1,000 (p < 0.001). The cesarean rate increased from 34.1% to 47.5% (p < 0.001). In conclusion, despite favorable changes in socio-demographic, behavioral, and health service factors and decreasing rates of IUGR and perinatal and infant mortality, LBW and PTB remained stable, while the cesarean rate increased.