Am J Perinatol 1988; 5(3): 278-282
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-999703
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

© 1988 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.

Birth Out of Wedlock and the Risk of Intrauterine Growth Retardation

Rena Gale, Shmuel Zengen, Susan Harlap, Allen F. Fischer, David K. Stevenson
  • Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel, and Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
04 March 2008 (online)

ABSTRACT

Birth out of wedlock has been associated with maternal and neonatal problems, especially lowbirthweight, attributed mainly to the young maternal age of the unmarried mothers. We surveyed a cohort of 300 first-born infants delivered in Israel to unwed mothers, matched for parity, maternal age, and ethnic origin. No maternal complications were found among the unwed mothers. However, the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation among infants of the out of wedlock mothers was 53 of 293, compared with 20 of 297 among the control population (p < 0.001). This difference in the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation may not be associated with young maternal age.

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