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Author: Ahern, Jennifer
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Margerison-Zilko, Claire E.
Catalano, Ralph
Hubbard, Alan
Ahern, Jennifer
Maternal Exposure to Unexpected Economic Contraction and Birth Weight for Gestational Age
Epidemiology 22,6 (November 2011): 855-858.
Also: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21900824
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Wolters Kluwer
Keyword(s): Birthweight; Economic Changes/Recession; Economic Well-Being; Geocoded Data; Gestation/Gestational weight gain; Job Turnover; Maternal Employment; Poverty; State-Level Data/Policy; Stress; Unemployment

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Background: The macro-level economy may affect fetal health through maternal behavioral or physiologic responses.

Methods: We used a multilevel design to examine associations between exposure to state-level unexpected economic contraction during each trimester of gestation and birth weight for gestational age percentile and small for gestational age (SGA), using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. We examined differences in observed associations by maternal educational attainment, race/ethnicity, employment status, and poverty status.

Results: Exposure in the first trimester was associated with a 3.7 percentile point decrease in birth weight for gestational age (95% confidence interval [CI] = −6.8 to −0.6). This association appeared stronger for women “keeping house” or with <12 years education. Exposure in the first trimester was also associated with increased odds of SGA (odds ratio = 1.5 [95% CI = 1.1 to 2.1]) and term SGA (odds ratio = 1.6 [95% CI = 1.2 to 2.3]).

Conclusions: Unexpected economic contraction during early pregnancy may be associated with reduced fetal growth.

Bibliography Citation
Margerison-Zilko, Claire E., Ralph Catalano, Alan Hubbard and Jennifer Ahern. "Maternal Exposure to Unexpected Economic Contraction and Birth Weight for Gestational Age." Epidemiology 22,6 (November 2011): 855-858.