Table 1.
Description of the general characteristics of the mothers, preterm newborns (PTNB) and full-term newborns (FTNB)
| Variables | PTNB Group | FTNB Group | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 66 | N = 92 | |||
| Characteristics of the mothers | ||||
| Age (n = 158) | Years | 26.0 ± 7.3 | 26.03 ± 6.8 | 0.987a |
| Ethnicity (n = 158) | White | 18 (27.3%) | 35 (38.0%) | 0.151b |
| Black | 6 (9.1%) | 3 (3.3%) | ||
| Mixed ethnicity | 42 (63.6%) | 54 (58.7%) | ||
| Schooling (n = 150) | < 4 years | 5 (8.5%) | 2 (2.2%) | 0.194b |
| 4 to 8 years | 50 (84.7%) | 81 (89.0%) | ||
| > 8 years | 4 (6.8%) | 8 (8.8%) | ||
| Number of pregnancies (n = 158) | Number | 2.2 ± 1.5 | 2.3 ± 1.5 | 0.761a |
| Alcohol use (n = 158) | Yes | 5 (7.6%) | 4 (4.3%) | 0.492b |
| Tobacco use (n = 158) | Yes | 13 (19.7%) | 10 (10.9%) | 0.169b |
| Vitamin D Suplementation (n = 158) | Yes | 6 (9.1%) | 5 (5.4%) | 0.528b |
| Folic Acid (n = 158) | Yes | 46 (70.8%) | 92 (87.6%) | 0.038b |
| Iron (n = 158) | Yes | 50 (75.8%) | 76 (82.6%) | 0.320b |
| Frequent use of sunscreen (n = 158) | Yes | 9 (13.6%) | 23 (25.0%) | 0.108b |
| Regular exposure to sunlight (n = 158) | Yes | 5 (7.6%) | 54 (58.7%) | < 0.001b |
| Pregnancy-induced illness (n = 158) | Hypertension | 27 (40.9%) | 14 (15.2%) | < 0.001b |
| Gestational diabetes | 3 (4.5%) | 2 (2.2%) | 0.650b | |
| Urinary tract infection | 14 (21.2%) | 32 (34.8%) | 0.077b | |
| Prenatal care (n = 158) | Yes (> 6 check-ups) | 12 (18.2%) | 71 (78.3%) | < 0.001b |
| Yes (< 6 check-ups) | 42 (63.6%) | 16 (17.4%) | ||
| No (no check-ups) | 12 (18.2%) | 4 (4.3%) | ||
| Pre-pregnancy BMI (n = 116) | > 30 kg/m2 | 6 (19.4%) | 19 (22.4%) | 0.905b |
| 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 | 8 (25.8%) | 22 (25.9%) | ||
| 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 | 16 (51.6%) | 39 (45.9%) | ||
| < 18.5 kg/m2 | 1 (3.2%) | 5 (5.9%) | ||
| Pregnancy weight gain | High | 18 (58.1%) | 55 (65.5%) | 0.720b |
| Adequate | 7 (22.4%) | 14 (16.7%) | ||
| Low | 6 (19.4%) | 15 (17.9%) | ||
| Season (n = 158) | Spring | 14 (21.2%) | 48 (52.2%) | < 0.001b |
| Summer | 24 (36.4%) | 44 (47.8%) | ||
| Fall | 16 (24.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| Winter | 12 (18.2%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||
| Newborn Characteristics | ||||
| Gender (n = 158) | Male | 35 (53.0%) | 50 (54.3%) | 0.727b |
| Type of birth (n = 158) | Vaginal | 17 (25.8%) | 48 (52.2%) | 0.001b |
| Gestational Age (n = 158) | Weeks | 29.8 ± 2.4 | 39.3 ± 1.2 | < 0.001a |
| Birth weight (n = 158) | Grams | 1250 ± 354.6 | 3317 ± 449.4 | < 0.001a |
| Size for gestational age (n = 158) | Small for GA | 14 (21.2%) | 0.0 (0.0%) | < 0.001b |
| Adequate for GA | 47 (71.2%) | 83 (90.2%) | ||
| Large for GA | 5 (7.6%) | 9 (9.8%) | ||
aAverage and standard deviation. Level of significance of Student’s t-test
bNumber (percentage). Level of significance of the chi-squared test