Pregnancy wantedness and adverse pregnancy outcomes: differences by race and Medicaid status.

This study examines the relationship between pregnancy wantedness and adverse pregnancy outcomes among 2828 mothers who participated in the Missouri Maternal and Infant Health Survey. The survey was designed as a population-based case-control study of very low birth weight infants born to Missouri residents during December 1 1989 and March 31 1991. Infants of moderate and normal birth weight were the controls. Stillbirths were included but multiple pregnancies were excluded. 36% of the sample were in-patients 38% were Black 62% were White 23% were teenagers 54% were in their 20s 52% were married and 52% lived in a major metropolitan area. 45% of mothers qualified for Medicaid. 779 women gave birth to a low birth weight infant 799 gave birth to a moderately low birth weight infant and 800 gave birth to a normal birth weight infant. 450 infants were stillbirths. Pregnancy wantedness was defined by traditional measures of mistimed and unwanted pregnancies as used in the NSFG and some newer measures such as feelings about being pregnant. Six measures were used: unintended (mistimed and unwanted) mistimed unwanted unhappy about the pregnancy unsure about the pregnancy and denial of the pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis reveals that the odds of a pregnancy being unwanted if the baby was of low birth weight were greater for the following factors: smoking during pregnancy maternal age race education health status pre-pregnancy weight-for-height parity infant mortality and in-patient status at the survey date. The sample included 42% of mistimed pregnancies and 15% each reported the pregnancy as unwanted unhappy or a denial. Birth weight outcomes did not vary by age or race. Low birth weight did not differentiate the wantedness of pregnancies using the timing-wantedness scale but did distinguish on the happiness scale and denial measures.