TITLE:
Looking at maternal inequalities (socioeconomic class, age and human immunodeficiency virus status) to predict well-being of neonates during infancy
AUTHORS:
Baba Usman Ahmadu
KEYWORDS:
Maternal (Socioeconomic Class, Age, HIV); Mother-Neonatal Pairs; Infant Health; Maiduguri; Nigeria
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.8D,
August
20,
2013
ABSTRACT: Background:
Infant health inequalities responsible for high infant sicknesses and deaths
in our setting could depend to a large extend on maternal inequalities like
socioeconomic class (SEC), age and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Objective: To look at maternal inequalities (SEC, Age and HIV), to predict
well-being of neonates during infancy. Methods: Subjects were selected using
systematic random sampling. Maternal education, occupation, age and HIV
status were obtained using a questionnaire; their SEC was derived using the
Oyedeji’s model. Gestational age (GA) of the neonates was estimated from their
mother’s last menstrual period, obstetric ultrasound scan reports or the Dubowitz
criteria; and birthweight (BW) was determined using the basinet weighing
scale, which has a sensitivity of 50 grams. Results: Ninety mother-neonatal
pairs were enrolled, 47 (52.2%) neonates were males and 43 (47.8%) females.
Most of the neonates were term 66 (73.3%) and of normal BW 75 (83.4%). A
significant association existed between maternal variables and the likely
hood of the subjects being less healthy during infancy (χ2 = 126.528, p