Maternal height associated with cesarean section. A cross-sectional study using the 2014-2015 national maternal-child health survey in Guatemala.

Int J Equity Health

Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, 18 Avenida 11-95 Zona 15 Vista Hermosa III, 01015, Guatemala, Guatemala.

Published: July 2020

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study investigates the link between maternal height and the likelihood of undergoing a cesarean section (CS) in Guatemala, where a significant portion of women is shorter than 145 cm.
  • - An analysis of data from a national maternal and child health survey revealed that mothers shorter than 145 cm had a higher prevalence of CS (1.63 times more likely) compared to those taller than 170 cm, though this association varied with the timing of previous births.
  • - The findings suggest that the high rate of CS exceeds international recommendations and highlight the importance of considering maternal height in prenatal assessments to improve maternal health outcomes.

Article Abstract

Background: Socioeconomic status is associated with cesarean section (CS). Maternal height, however, may be another related factor to CS. In Guatemala, a quarter of women between 15 and 49 years of age are shorter than 145 cm. Therefore, this study aims to examine the association of maternal height with cesarean section in Guatemala.

Methods: We carried out a secondary analysis study using data from the 2014-15 Guatemalan national maternal and child health survey-9542 mothers aged 15-49 and 12,426 live births were analyzed. We obtained the prevalence ratio of the association between maternal height and CS based on three Poisson regression models. One model included all live births, another the first live birth, and a third model the last live birth. For each model, we accounted for covariates and sampling design.

Results: The national prevalence of CS was 26.3% (95%CI: 25.0, 27.7). The adjusted prevalence ratio of CS, including all live births, was 1.63 (95%CI: 1.37, 1.94) more likely in mothers shorter than 145 cm compared with those equal or greater than 170 cm. This figure was 1.45 (95%CI: 1.19, 1.76) in the model with the first live birth. In the model with the last birth, maternal height was not associated with CS after accounting for previous CS as one of the covariates.

Conclusions: Prevalence of CS in this setting was high and above international recommendations. Further, very short mothers were more likely to experience CS compared to taller mothers after accounting for covariates, except when a previous CS was present. Maternal height should be included in clinical assessments during prenatal care.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7393904PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01182-8DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

maternal height
24
live births
12
live birth
12
height associated
8
associated cesarean
8
shorter 145 cm
8
association maternal
8
prevalence ratio
8
model live
8
birth model
8

Similar Publications

Background: Early identification of developmental delay in children can help in making early intervention for its management. Routine developmental screening is not being practised in India due to lack of trained field workers, lack of awareness among parents and lack of feasible assessment screening tool. There is lack of studies that focuses on home environment provided to the children as it is associated with developmental delay.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To compare glycemic outcomes during and following moderate-intensity exercise (MIE), high-intensity interval exercise (HIE), and resistance exercise (RE) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using a hybrid closed-loop (HCL) insulin pump while measuring additional physiological signals associated with activity. Twenty-eight adolescents (average age 16.3 ± 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Drivers of stunting and wasting across serial cross-sectional household surveys of children under 2 years of age in Pakistan: potential contribution of ecological factors.

Am J Clin Nutr

January 2025

Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Centre for Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan; Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address:

Background: The impact of direct and indirect drivers on linear growth and wasting in young children is of public health interest. While the contributions of poverty, maternal education, empowerment and birth weight to early childhood growth are well recognized, the contribution of environmental factors like heat, precipitation, agriculture outputs and food security in comparable datasets is less well established.

Objectives: To investigate the association of length-for-age z-score (LAZ) and weight-for-length z-score (WLZ) with various indicators among children under 2 years of age in Pakistan using representative household level nutrition surveys and ecological datasets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects 1 in 10,000 children, with its molecular causes largely unknown. Adult studies suggest that low androgen levels induce ovarian insufficiency, but data on about this in children is limited. This study aims to assess the prevalence of low androgen levels in childhood POI and its relationship with adrenal insufficiency.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Individuals born preterm at very low birthweight (VLBW, < 1500 g) tend to attain a smaller adult body size compared with term-born peers but less is known regarding specific body composition characteristics.

Objectives: We aimed to assess whether adults born at VLBW have less beneficial body composition characteristics, potentially mediating the association between VLBW birth and cardiometabolic disease. Sibling controls were used to account for the potential influence of shared genetic and/or lifestyle factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!