Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the relationship between unintended pregnancy and infant birthweight in Ecuador, differentiating between unwanted and mistimed pregnancies. METHODS: Analyses focused on a subsample of women (n = 2490) interviewed in the 1994 Ecuador Demographic and Maternal-Child Health Survey. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between pregnancy intention status and low birthweight after control for other factors. RESULTS: Infants from unwanted pregnancies were more likely than infants from planned pregnancies to have low birthweight (odds ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence interval = 1.22, 2.20). Mistimed pregnancy was not associated with low birthweight. CONCLUSIONS: Unwanted pregnancy, but not mistimed pregnancy, is associated with low birthweight in Ecuador. Further research is needed to understand the mechanism through which pregnancy intention status affects birthweight.
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Selected References
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