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Anthropometric markers are the most important aspect of a child's health assessment. Using large-scale nationally representative data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015–2016, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between children born to women with high-risk fertility behaviours and children's health outcomes. The sample consisted of 2,55,726 children of currently married women aged 15–49 years in India. The key explanatory variable, high-risk fertility behaviour was defined by women's age at birth (below 18 or above 34 years), birth interval (less than 24 months), and higher birth orders (four and above). The key outcome variables for assessing child health outcomes were stunting, wasting, and underweight in children aged 0–59 months. We used descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test and logistic regression models to analyse the objectives. Approximately 33% of children were born with any single high-risk condition in the last 5 years in India. The bivariate analysis showed that all three components of child health, stunting, wasting, and underweight, were higher among children born to women with high-risk fertility behaviour. The findings from the multivariable analysis suggest that children born with a high risk fertility behaviour were suffering from stunting (AOR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.27–1.33) and underweight (AOR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.20–1.27). In addition, children born to women of multiple high-risk categories had higher odds of stunting (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI 1.46–1.59) and underweight (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.32–1.44) as compared to children born to women with no risk. Our findings highlight an urgent need for effective legislation to prevent child marriage that would be helpful in increasing the maternal age at birth. The government should also focus on the interventions in health education and improvement of reproductive healthcare to promote optimal birth spacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate factors influencing the prolonged birth interval in swine, defined as a birth interval longer than 30 minutes. In total, 3380 piglets born from 239 Landrace x Yorkshire sows from 5 farms in the North of Vietnam were included in this study. The dependent variable was the prolonged birth interval, and independent variables included parity, gestation length, litter size, relative birth order, crown-rump length, birth weight, body-mass index, ponderal index, piglet's gender, dead-born piglet, and oxytocin use. Important factors for the prolonged birth interval were determined by using Generalized Linear Mixed Models. The incidence of the prolonged birth interval was 14.5%. Crown-rump length (OR=1.09, 95% CI=1.06-1.14), birth weight (OR=1.06, 95% CI=1.02-1.09), and dead-born piglet (OR=1.98-2.08, 95% CI=1.38-2.97) were positively associated with the prolonged birth interval, while litter size (OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.96-0.94) negatively correlated with the prolonged birth interval. The incidence of prolonged birth interval decreased with an increase in relative birth order, bottoming at relative birth order of 40-80, and then increased to the end of parturition. The last piglets had the highest risk of experiencing prolonged birth intervals. This study indicated that prolonged birth interval in swine was common; therefore, careful farrowing supervision should be practiced to reduce stress in sows and piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the study is to examine the effects of university students' sense of inadequacy on their career future. In addition, it was also investigated whether students' sense of inadequacy and their perceptions of career future differ according to variables such as gender, field, program, class, birth order in the family, and mother and father education level. The population of the research consists of students registered at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University. 933 university students constituting the sample of the study were selected by convenience sampling method, one of the non-probability sampling methods. A relational screening model was used in the study. In the study, besides the validity and reliability analyzes of the scales, T-test, ANOVA test, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed. As a result of the analysis, it was seen that the students' sense of inadequacy had a negative effect on their career future. Significant differences were found in the career future averages of the students according to the field they studied, the program they studied and the grade level they studied. There was no difference between the mean of the students' sense of inadequacy and the students' gender, field, program, class, birth order in the family, and educational status of the parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition among children remains a challenge to public health in Africa, and it is responsible for the increased infant mortality rate in Ethiopia. This study aims to identify the joint determinant factors of malnutrition among under-age five children in Ethiopia and quantify the regional prevalence across the country. A Bayesian hierarchical linear mixed model, with a bivariate conditional autoregressive model, was adopted to account for the joint spatial prevalence pattern of malnutrition among under-age five children in Ethiopia. The data were provided by the Demography and Health Surveys program. The study revealed that gender, wealth index, mothers' education, toilet system, fever, birth order, birth interval, contraceptive use, and diarrhea, are significant risk factors of child malnutrition. The three malnutrition indicators are most prevalent in the Afar region, while stunting and underweight are most prevalent in Amhara, Beneshangul Gumuz, and Tigray, and the wasting and underweight are most prevalent in the Gambela and Somali. Findings revealed that a stunted child is more likely to be underweight than being wasted, and a wasted child is more likely to be underweight than being stunted. The findings also revealed significant changes in the prevalence of malnutrition for different mothers and children age groups. For cost-effective malnutrition intervention, programs for parents, such as awareness creation about the modern types of contraceptives, appropriate birth spacing, the benefits of antenatal and postnatal care, for example, are a propitious method to mitigate malnutrition in high prevalent regions than direct intervention to the children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Short birth spacing is reported to have health consequences for both mother and child. This study aims to examine the effect of short birth interval on nutritional outcomes of under-five children in Bangladesh. Methods: We used data from the latest five rounds of successive Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted during 2004 to 2017-18. Short birth interval is defined as birth spacing of < 24 months between two subsequent live births. The outcomes of interest are stunting and underweight. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed. Results of the multivariate analysis are shown by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Data were analyzed by Stata 15/IC. Results: A total of 16,100 under-five children of second and higher - order births were included for analysis. Of the children, 12% were born at a space of < 24 months, and 19% were born with a space of 24 - 35 months. The proportion of children with short birth interval was found decreasing over successive surveys. Results of the logistic regression analysis show that compared to the birth interval of 24 - 35 and 36 - 59 months, children born to women with birth interval < 24 months were significantly (P < 0.001) at higher risk of being stunted and underweight. Conclusions: Short birth interval has significant impact on childhood stunting and underweight. It remains a major factor resulting in childhood malnutrition in Bangladesh. Research to explore causal pathways and programs to lengthen space between inter-pregnancy should be intensified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toleration status (temporary suspension of deportation) has been Germany's hesitant answer to providing humanitarian relief for Palestinians escaping the dismal conditions of refugee camps and the civil war in Lebanon in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At the same time, the status has subjected families to years, even decades, of insecurity and uncertainty through constant threats of deportation and restrictions on work, travel and higher education. Based on 19 months of ethnographic research, the article shows the story of one family during their 16 years on toleration status and their experiences after gaining permanent residency. The family's experiences illuminate the insecurity and uncertainty large communities on toleration status in Berlin-Neukölln experienced, all sharing the fate of constantly wavering between hope, fear and disillusionment. Their struggles also show how the permanent temporariness of long-term toleration status affects both the parents who fled the conflict and their children, most of whom were born and raised in Germany. I argue that toleration status limits the capabilities of children stuck in the stagnant realities of their family's insecure status, along the lines of gender and birth order. Moreover, toleration status as a multigenerational ordeal persists long after the legal insecurity has ended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is much interest in how the length of the previous birth interval affects various child outcomes, and it has become increasingly common to estimate such effects from sibling models. This is because one then controls for unobserved determinants of the outcome that are shared between the siblings and linked to the birth interval length. However, it is a common idea that such effects can only be estimated from data on families with three or more children. Objective: The goal of this paper is to show, through an intuitive argument and a simulation experiment, that it is possible to estimate effects of birth interval only from families with two children. Methods: Observations are simulated from two equations for fertility and one equation for child mortality. The fertility equations include a random term that is assumed to be correlated with the random term in the mortality equation. Mortality models are then estimated from the simulated observations. This is done 1000 times, and the averages of the 1000 sets of estimates are calculated. Results: The simulation experiment illustrates that it is indeed possible (by using a model specification that takes into account that no birth interval is defined for the first birth) to estimate birth interval effects in sibling models even when the data include only families with two children. Conclusion: It is good news that families with only two children can contribute to the estimation of birth interval effects. This is because, with a broader basis for the estimation, the precision is improved and there is less reason for concern about the general relevance of the estimates. An important limitation, however, is that it is potentially problematic to control for maternal age in a sibling model estimated only for the first and second child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Dystocia in swine can increase the stillbirth rate; however, its importance in pig-breeding systems has been underestimated. Until now, few studies have investigated dystocia and associated risk factors. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of various risk factors on dystocia in swine. Materials and Methods: Out of 5,557 piglets, we included 4,997 piglets in risk analysis study. The dependent variable was dystocia, which was recorded when a birth interval exceeded 45 min or when obstetric assistance was applied. The independent variables were parity, gestation length, litter size, birth order, gender, presence of a dead piglet, birthweight, crown rump length, body mass index, ponderal index, and oxytocin use. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the associations between potential risk factors and dystocia at the piglet level. Results: A total of 6% of the piglets were born with a dystocia event, and 47.2% of the farrowing experienced at least one event. Dead piglets and piglets with a crown rump length of >31 cm were associated with an increased dystocia rate. This rate decreased from birth order 2 to 7, stabilized to 11, and then increased till the end of the fetal expulsion process. Conclusion: Dystocia is common in swine. Therefore, this condition should be carefully addressed by veterinarians and farrowing house personnel so that its adverse effect on welfare and productivity of sows and survivability of piglets can be reduced. Further studies investigating dystocia status and risk factors in different swine farrowing systems should be undertaken to provide more knowledge about this neglected condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Stillbirth causes considerable loss to the pig farming industry. Methods aimed at reducing stillbirth should base on the understanding of risk factors for intrapartum stillbirth because it accounts for 75% of all stillbirths. Unfortunately, few studies have differentiated between intrapartum and prepartum stillbirths leading to inadequate information about risk factors for sole intrapartum stillbirth. This study investigated risk factors for piglet's intrapartum stillbirth. Materials and Methods: Data of 1527 piglets born from 103 sows in one herd were recorded. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the relationship between investigated risk factors and intrapartum stillbirth at the piglet level. The potential risk factors were parity, gestation length (GL), litter size (LS), birth order (BO), birth interval (BI), cumulative farrowing duration (CFD), gender, crown-rump length, birth weight (BW), body mass index, ponderal index (PI), and BW deviation. Results: About 60% (60.2%, 62/103) litters had stillborn piglet(s), and the intrapartum stillbirth rate was 5.8% (89/1527). BW deviation (=0.1 and >0.6 kg), LS >13, GL (<114 and >117 days), PI =54, and BO >10 were the most significant factors associated with increased intrapartum stillbirth. No effect of parity, sex, BI, and CFD on intrapartum stillbirth was detected. Conclusion: These data stressed the importance of piglets' size and shape in the prediction of intrapartum stillbirth. Furthermore, large LS, high BO, short, and long GL were associated with increased intrapartum stillbirth. The results of this study suggest that procedures aimed at increasing litter homogeneity, optimizing piglets' size and shape, avoiding short and long gestation, and increasing supervision rate, especially at the second half, of the farrowing may reduce piglet's intrapartum stillbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal age < 18 or > 34 years, short inter-pregnancy birth interval, and higher birth order are considered to be high-risk fertility behaviours (HRFB). Underfive mortality being disproportionately concentrated in Asia and Africa, this study analyses the association between HRFB and underfive mortality in selected Asian and African countries.Methods: This study used Integrated Public Microdata Series-Demographic and Health Surveys (IPUMS-DHS) data from 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, North Africa and South Asia from 1986 to 2017 (N = 1,467,728). Previous evidence hints at four markers of HRFB: women's age at birth of index child < 18 or > 34 years, preceding birth interval < 24 months and child's birth order > 3. Using logistic regression, we analysed change in the odds of underfive mortality as a result of i) exposure to HRFB individually, ii) exposure to any single HRFB risk factor, iii) exposure to multiple HRFB risk factors, and iv) exposure to specific combinations of HRFB risk factors.Results: Mother's age at birth of index child < 18 years and preceding birth interval (PBI) < 24 months were significant risk factors of underfive mortality, while a child's birth order > 3 was a protective factor. Presence of any single HRFB was associated with 7% higher risk of underfive mortality (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.04-1.09). Presence of multiple HRFBs was associated with 39% higher risk of underfive mortality (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.36-1.43). Some specific combinations of HRFB such as maternal age < 18 years and preceding birth interval < 24 month significantly increased the odds of underfive mortality (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.88-2.28).Conclusion: Maternal age < 18 years and short preceding birth interval significantly increase the risk of underfive mortality. This highlights the need for an effective legislation to curb child marriages and increased public investment in reproductive healthcare with a focus on higher contraceptive use for optimal birth spacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do firstborn children have a height advantage? Empirical findings have found mostly that, yes, second or higher-order children often lag behind firstborns in height outcomes, especially in developing countries. However, empirical investigations of birth-order effects on child height overlook the potential impact that birth spacing can have. We provide an explanation for the negative birth-order effect on stunting outcomes for young Indian children and show it is driven by short preceding-birth spacing. We find that firstborn children are taller than children of higher birth order: The height-for-age gap for third (or higher)-order children is twice the gap for children second in birth order. However, this pattern is observed when spacing between later-born children and their immediate elder siblings is fewer than 3 y. Interestingly, the firstborn height advantage disappears when later-born children are born at least 3 y after their elder siblings. Thus, our findings indicate that spacing length between children explains differences in height, over birth order. Although India's family planning policy has resulted in a substantial reduction in total fertility, its achievement in spacing subsequent births has been less impressive. In showing that spacing can alleviate or aggravate birth-order effects on attained height, our study fills an evidence gap: Reducing fertility alone may not be sufficient in overcoming negative birth-order effects. To reduce the detrimental effects of birth order on child stunting, policy responses--and therefore research priorities--require a stronger focus on increasing the time period between births. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine fertility intentions among abortion patients and the potential of abortion for avoiding short birth intervals.Study Design: We used national data from a sample of more than 8000 individuals obtaining abortions in the United States in 2014. We created a measure of fertility intentions based on prior births and responses to an item asking about future childbearing expectations. We identify respondents who reported having a birth in the last 12 months as at risk of a short birth interval. We used simple logistic regression to assess for differences in these measures according to key demographic variables.Results: Most commonly, 39% of patients intended to have (more) children, with similar proportions wanting to delay a first birth (20%) or postpone a second or higher order birth (19%). Some 31% of abortion patients had completed childbearing; they had one or more prior births and did not want to have any more children. Similar proportions of respondents were not sure if they wanted to have children (16%) or did not want to have any children (15%). Among abortion patients who had children, 14% had had a birth in the prior year. We estimate that as many as 77,800 short birth intervals were averted in 2014 because individuals had access to abortion.Conclusions: These findings support the view that abortion allows individuals to plan and space their births according to their reproductive life plans and intentions.Implications: Access to abortion may help thousands of individuals in the United States avoid short birth intervals, potentially leading to improvements in maternal and child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both short and long birth intervals are associated with many risk factors and about 29% of births are short birth intervals in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study is to model the birth intervals of adult women aged 15-49 years using accelerated failure time and shared frailty models in order to analyze the birth intervals of Ethiopian women.Methods: The data was obtained from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). Accelerated failure time with different baseline and shared frailty models are used for the analysis to identify important demographic and socio-economic factors affecting the length of birth intervals and correlates of the birth intervals respectively.Results: The data consists of 9147 women, of which about 7842 (85.5%) are closed interval and the rest of 1323(14.5%) are open interval. Accelerated failure time (AFT) result revealed that women education level, husbands education level, age at first birth, marital status, religion and family wealth index are significant factors affecting birth interval of women in Ethiopia.Conclusion: Women with closely spaced births tend to have larger family sizes when compared with women with longer inter-birth interval. Longer successive birth interval tends to reduce the total fertility rate of women. Furthermore, improvements in socio-economic status and level of education of women associate with reduced fertility, improved maternal and child wellbeing, and longer birth interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to find the socioeconomic and proximate determinants of mortality in children under five years of age in Peru. To this end, the study focuses on the theoretical approach of Mosley and Chen (1984) and on the econometric methodology of the Cox proportional hazards semi-parametric and non-parametric Kaplan and Meier models. Regarding socioeconomic determinants, the results show that the mother's years of education, the economic status of the home, and the mother's health coverage significantly reduce the risk of death for children under the age of five. Likewise, the mother's years of education have a significant interactive effect with the socioeconomic level of the home and access to health service coverage which influence child survival. As for the proximal determinants, the age of the mother, the intervals between births, the order of birth of the children, and health facilities predict the risk of death for children under five years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different risk factors on stillbirth of piglets born from oxytocinassisted parturitions. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from a total of 1121 piglets born from 74 Landrace x Yorkshire crossbred sows from a herd. Logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between stillbirth and different risk factors including parity (1, 2, 3-5, and 6-10), gestation length (GL) (112-113, 114-116, and 117-119 days), litter size, birth order (BO), sex, birth interval (BI), cumulative farrowing duration, birth weight (BW), crown rump length, BW deviation, body mass index, ponderal index (PI), and the use of oxytocin during expulsive stage of farrowing. Results: The incidence of stillbirth at litter level and stillbirth rate was 59.5% (44/74) and 8.1% (89/1094), respectively. The final multivariate logistic regression selected BO, BI, PI, GL, and parity as the five most significant risk factors for stillbirth. Increased BO and BI, GL <114 and >116 days, parity 6-10, and low PI increased the stillbirth rate in piglets. Conclusion: Several factors previously determined as risks for stillbirth in exogenous oxytocin-free parturitions also existed in exogenous oxytocin-assisted parturitions. One dose of oxytocin at fairly high BO did not increase stillbirth, whereas two doses of oxytocin were potentially associated with increased values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The child mortality rate is an essential measurement of socioeconomic growth and the quality of life in Ethiopia which is one among the six countries that account for half of the global under-five deaths. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the potential risk factors for child mortality in Ethiopia. Data for the study was drawn from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data conducted in 2016. A two-part random effects regression model was employed to identify the associated predictors of child mortality. The study found that 53.3% of mothers did not face any child death, while 46.7% lost at least one. Vaccinated child (IRR = 0.735, 95%CI: 0.647, 0.834), were currently using contraceptive (IRR = 0.885, 95%CI: 0.814, 0.962), who had antenatal care visit four or more times visit (IRR = 0.841, 95%CI: 0.737,0.960), fathers whose level of education is secondary or above(IRR = 0.695, 95%CI: 0.594, 0.814), mothers who completed their primary school(IRR = 0.785, 95%CI: 0.713, 0.864), mothers who have birth interval greater than 36 months (IRR = 0.728, 95%CI: 0.676, 0.783), where the age of the mother at first birth is greater than 16 years(IRR = 0.711, 95%CI: 0.674, 0.750) associated with the small number of child death. While multiple births (IRR = 1.355, 95%CI: 1.249, 1.471, four and above birth order (IRR = 1.487, 95%CI: 1.373, 1.612) and had working father (IRR = 1.125, 95%CI: 1.049, 1.206) associated with a higher number of child death. The variance components for the random effects showed significant variation of child mortality between enumeration areas. Policies and programs aimed at addressing enumeration area variations in child mortality need to be formulated and their implementation must be strongly pursued. Efforts are also needed to extend educational programmers aimed at educating mothers on the benefits of the antenatal checkup before first birth, spacing their birth interval, having their child vaccinated, and selecting a safe place of delivery to reduce child mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exclusive Breast Feeding is one of the most cost effective and simple ways to ensure child health and survival and is the single most instrumental intervention that leads to decreased child mortality and morbidity. This study was done to determine the frequency of exclusive breast feeding among mothers in rural Rawalpindi and to determine the frequency of factors affecting exclusive breast feeding among mothers in rural Rawalpindi. Methods: It was a descriptive cross- sectional study, conducted in 6 months in Union Council Mandra, from November 2014 to April 2015. A sample size of 245was selected through non-probability consecutive sampling. Data was collected on a structured questionnaire from mothers visiting the RHC Mandra facility after taking informed consent. Data was analyzed in the statistical software SPSS 10. Conclusion: Health education by health professionals during antenatal period to initiate and maintain exclusive breast feeding should be strengthened by focusing more on the nutritional aspects of the newborn babies and its benefits in the later life. Results: The frequency of Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF) determined in the study was 52.2%. 29% mothers had primary level education, 52.7% had deliveries in the public hospitals and 46.5% were house wives. The birth order, age of the child, number of antenatal visits, birth wt. and mode of delivery (p<0.05) were significantly associated with EBF. The association of mother's and father's education level, monthly income, birth interval and mother's occupation with EBF were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: Health education by health professionals during antenatal period to initiate and maintain exclusive breast feeding should be strengthened by focusing more on the nutritional aspects of the newborn babies and its benefits in the later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stunting is a well-known child health indicator for chronic malnutrition. The nutritional status of children is a good gauge for the nutritional well-being of the population, and it is, nowadays, one of the key issues in interrupting generational poverty transmissions as they bear the brunt of poverty. There has been scarcity of disaggregated survey to explore covariates of child stunting. This study attempted to identify socio-economic, demographic and other proximate factors associated with stunting of children under the age of five in Fitche town. The survey was cross-sectional, conducted using multistage sampling procedures to collect information from 160 children and caregivers. The anthropometric, descriptive and logistic analyses to determine the prevalence and identify covariates of child stunting were applied using Epi info and STATA software. Logistic analysis of the effects of selected child and maternal characteristics, child caring practices, and environmental health conditions on child stunting was done. Therefore, birth order, family size, maternal education, remittances, farm income, income from women employment and size of cultivated land were found to be the strongest predictors. However, the estimated coefficients of vaccine status of the child, Low Birth Weight, latrine facility in the house, morbidity status of the child, child birth interval, distance to the nearest health center, antenatal care visit of the mother and household's source of water indicated theoretically inconsistent and statistically insignificant effect on the likelihood of child stunting. The prevalence of child stunting was 45%, which is significantly higher than the regional and national averages. Among children who were stunted, 11.9 % were moderately stunted compared to 33.1% who were severely stunted. The proportion of stunted children for male was greater than female. There is a need to increase maternity care and education as this would make them amenable to health interventions that help improve not only their nutritional status and that of their child but also improve their income earning potential and food purchasing power. Addressing poverty may lead to improvements in the nutrition status of children as household economic status significantly determines nutritional status in the town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of birth order on educational attainment in Lesotho. Using family fixed effects models, I find robust negative birth order effects on educational attainment. These results are in sharp contrast with the evidence from many developing countries, but are consistent with that from developed countries. Further, these birth order effects are pronounced in large families, and families with first-born girls, which suggests presence of girls' education bias. Turning to potential pathways of these effects, I find that they are not propagated through family wealth, but mainly through birth-spacing. These results are robust to different sample restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inadequate colostrum consumption increases preweaning mortality. • Piglets with standing time >5 min had lower colostrum consumption. • Sows with a low litter birth weight had low colostrum yield. • High mortality was found for piglets with colostrum consumption < 400 g. Inadequate colostrum consumption increases preweaning mortality and reduces body weight gain. The aim of the present study was to determine which factors influence piglet colostrum consumption and to study their relationship with the piglet survival and growth in tropical climates. At birth, 1018 piglets from 1 to 7 parity sows were monitored for heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood glucose concentration, birth order, birth interval, sex, standing time, integrity of the umbilical cord and rectal temperature 24 h after birth (RT24h). Piglets were weighed at birth and postnatal days 1 and 21. The mortality rate of piglets was determined on day 21 of lactation. On average, individual colostrum consumption was 426 g. Litters with less than 12 piglets born alive, a low birth weight (BWB), birth order greater than 9 or standing time greater than 5 min had significantly lower colostrum consumption (P < 0.001) compared to those with a greater number of piglets born alive, higher BWB and shorter standing time. Sows with a low litter birth weight had low colostrum yield (P < 0.001). High mortality at postnatal day 21 was found for piglets with colostrum consumption less than 400 g and RT24h less than 38.5 °C (P < 0.05). Moreover, piglets with colostrum consumption less than 400 g and low BWB had reduced average daily weight gain (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the number of piglets born alive, BWB, RT24h, birth order and standing time influenced piglet colostrum consumption, with litter birth weight representing the most influential factor for colostrum yield in a tropical climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Though Ethiopia has made impressive progress in reducing child mortality in the past two decades, the reduction of under-five mortalities is a major concern for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced in 2016 targeted to reduce under-5 mortality rate below 25 deaths of under-5 per 1,000 live births by 2030. This study aims to assess the risk factors attributed to under-five mortalities in Ethiopia region based on Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2016 dataset. Methods. The study was a secondary analysis of 2016, Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey and the information collected from 10,274 children born five years preceding the survey was considered in the study, and variables like maternal social and demographic characteristics, child demographic characteristics, and cultural and environmental factors were considered as determinants of under-five deaths. The study used descriptive statistics and logistic regression model to explore significant risk factors accredited to under-five deaths in Ethiopia. Results. Maternal education attainment, women age at first birth, women current age, child birth order, preceding birth interval, birth type, and occupation of mother were found significant predictors of under-five mortalities. Being born to mother with no education (OR=2.610, 95% CI: 1.598, 4.265), short birth spacing 1 to 18 months birth intervals (OR=2.164, 95% CI: 1.821, 2.570), birth order of five and above, and 11 to 17 years ages at birth (OR=1.556, 95% CI: 1.243, 1.949) were factors significantly associated with increased risk of under-five mortalities. Conclusion. The magnitude of under-five deaths in the study area was decreasing. However, under-five mortality rates have stayed higher in some regions. Therefore, interventions that focus on birth spacing, mothers living in Affar and Gambela, and uneducated mothers are required for improving child survival in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between a single interpregnancy interval (IPI) and birth outcomes has not yet been explored using matched methods. We modeled the odds of preterm birth, being small for gestational age, and having low birth weight in a second, live-born infant in a cohort of 192,041 sibling pairs born in Western Australia between 1980 and 2010. The association between IPI and birth outcomes was estimated from the interaction between birth order and IPI (with 18–23 months as the reference category), using conditional logistic regression. Matched analysis showed the odds of preterm birth were higher for siblings born following an IPI of <6 months (adjusted interaction odds ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.38) compared with those born after an IPI of 18–23 months. There were no significant differences for IPIs of <6 months for other outcomes (small for gestational age or low birth weight). This is the first study to use matched analyses to investigate the association between a single IPI on birth outcomes. IPIs of <6 months were associated with increased odds of preterm birth in second-born infants, although the association is likely smaller than previously estimated by unmatched studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association of socioeconomic position (SEP) with reproductive outcomes among Australian women. Methods: Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health’s (population-based cohort study) 1973-1978 cohort were used (N = 6899, aged 37-42 years in 2015). The association of SEP (childhood and own, multiple indicators) with age at first birth, birth-to-pregnancy (BTP) intervals and total number of children was analysed using multinomial logistic regression. Results: 14% of women had their first birth aged < 24 years. 29% of multiparous women had a BTP interval within the WHO recommendation (18-27 months). Women with a low SEP had increased odds of a first birth < 24 years: low (OR 7.0: 95% C.I. 5.3, 9.3) or intermediate education (OR 3.8: 2.8, 5.1); living in rural (OR 1.8: 1.5, 2.2) or remote (OR 2.1: 1.7, 2.7) areas; who found it sometimes (OR 1.8: 1.5, 2.2) or always difficult (OR 2.0: 1.6, 2.7) to manage on their income; and did not know their parent’s education (OR 4.5: 3.2, 6.4). Low SEP was associated with having a much longer than recommended BTP interval. Conclusion: As the first Australian study describing social differences in reproductive characteristics, these findings provide a base for reducing social inequalities in reproduction. Assisting adequate BTP spacing is important, particularly for women with existing elevated risks due to social disadvantage; including having a first birth < 24 years of age and a longer than recommended BTP interval. This includes reviewing services/access to postnatal support, free family planning/contraception clinics, and improved family policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fraternal birth order effect (FBOE) describes the phenomenon that homosexual men tend to have a greater number of older brothers than do heterosexual men. The FBOE is a marker for an innate, biological predisposition for androphilia in genotypic males. The FBOE has been studied since the 1930s and is the most consistent biodemographic correlate of sexual orientation in men. This study sought to determine whether the FBOE applies equally to all men who have sex with men (MSM), or disproportionately to MSM whose anal intercourse behavior is predominantly receptive (Bottoms). Participants included 243 North American adult MSM who responded to advertisements posted on a Web site and other electronic media associated with the GALA festival, a quadrennial gathering of gay and lesbian choruses. Each was asked whether his anal intercourse behavior during the preceding year was predominantly receptive, predominantly penetrative, or about equally receptive and penetrative. Those who indicated their behavior was predominantly receptive were coded "Bottoms"; all others were coded "Not-Bottoms." Participants were also surveyed as to their sibship composition. Bottoms had a significantly greater mean number of older brothers than did Not-Bottoms. There was no significant difference with respect to older or younger sisters or younger brothers. Further, the older sibling sex ratio (OSSR) for the Bottom cohort, but not for the Not-Bottom cohort, was significantly higher than the expected OSSR for the general male population (OSSR = No. older brothers/No. older sisters × 100; expected OSSR for general population = 106). Thus, late fraternal birth order was correlated with receptive anal-erotic behavior among MSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still considerable uncertainty about how reproductive factors affect child mortality. This study, based on Demographic and Health Survey data from 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, shows that mortality is highest for firstborn children with very young mothers. Other children with young mothers, or of high birth order, also experience high mortality. Net of maternal age and birth order, a short preceding birth interval is associated with above average mortality. These patterns change, however, if time-invariant unobserved mother-level characteristics of importance for both mortality and fertility are controlled for in a multilevel-multiprocess model. Most importantly, there are smaller advantages associated with longer birth intervals and being older at first birth. The implications of alternative reproductive 'strategies' are discussed, taking into account that if the mother is older at birth, the child will also be born in a later calendar year, when mortality may be lower [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea that birth-order position has a lasting impact on personality has been discussed for the past 100 years. Recent large-scale studies have indicated that birth-order effects on the Big Five personality traits are negligible. In the current study, we examined a variety of more narrow personality traits in a large representative sample (n = 6,500-10,500 in between-family analyses; n = 900-1,200 in within-family analyses). We used specification-curve analysis to assess evidence for birth-order effects across a range of models implementing defensible yet arbitrary analytical decisions (e.g., whether to control for age effects or to exclude participants on the basis of sibling spacing). Although specificationcurve analysis clearly confirmed the previously reported birth-order effect on intellect, we found no meaningful effects on life satisfaction, locus of control, interpersonal trust, reciprocity, risk taking, patience, impulsivity, or political orientation. The lack of meaningful birth-order effects on self-reports of personality was not limited to broad traits but also held for more narrowly defined characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue contains a collection of papers that study how children are affected by their sibship size, using anthropometric data. The varied results provide a wealth of new knowledge and show that this influence is context-specific. In this paper I discuss the methodological challenges that we will encounter continuing research on resource dilution in families. The most important challenge is the plausible endogeneity of sibship size and thus biased estimates of the effect. The problem of endogeneity can be made worse through residual confounding caused by measurement error. I argue that we need to be creative and find many different ways to circumvent the problems of endogeneity, for example by looking for testable implications of the resource dilution model or studying specific situations or groups. Comparative or longitudinal studies, utilizing the variation and changes in societal contexts and institutions across time and place could also provide ways forward. In general it is the basics of the scientific method that we need to keep in mind when we continue research on this topic: formulate explicit models, do replication studies, separate exploratory and confirmatory analyses, report negative results, and be cautious of over-explaining results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Resource dilution’ has been invoked as a possible mechanism to explain the inverse relation between sibship size and sibling heights in European populations (Öberg, 2015). Alternative explanations include confounding of the relation by other measured or unmeasured family characteristics including socio-economic position or birth order. It is difficult to quantify the contribution of any factor in isolation. To examine the question, we accessed data from the national birth cohort of 389,287 Dutch conscripts born in 1944–1947 and examined for military service at age 18. The records include all men of Dutch nationality born between January 1, 1944 and December 31, 1947 examined for military service in the Netherlands. The birth cohorts provide a well-defined study population to reliably assess the impact of family size and birth order on adult height, accounting for potential confounders. The cohorts include a large number of high-parity families, provide reliable information on both family size and birth order, and differentiate between all birth orders. The military examinations provide reliable information on height for all study subjects and uniform measurements at age 18. We show that recruits from larger families are shorter than recruits from smaller families; that birth order effects are small in relation to family size effects; and that birth order and family size effects are comparable in recruits from higher to lower socio-economic backgrounds. Recruits from higher backgrounds are significantly taller however. Our findings are compatible with a ’resource dilution’ hypothesis, but our data provide no information on any specific differences in the childhood environment in terms of nutrition, education, or other family behaviours could explain the observed height differences at age 18. Additional studies will be needed to identify what differences in specific family behaviours could lead to changes in height development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Height is generally accepted as an indicator of well-being and the development of children in early childhood. Historical research shows a negative association between the height of individuals and their birth order. This is frequently explained by the resource dilution hypothesis. However, we question the negative effect of birth order on growth patterns in contemporary Flanders, where the fertility decline has stabilized and policies supporting the family are well established. Therefore, the first aim of this study is to examine the influence of birth order on early child development – in terms of height – in contemporary society. In addition, we control for socioeconomic and sociodemographic parameters. We use a longitudinal dataset of almost all births in Flanders between 2006 and 2009 (N = 291,230), together with check-ups (N = 2,949,169). All height measurements are standardized to conform to the international World Health Organization growth standards. Several statistical techniques are used to estimate a six-step model. Results show that the effects of birth order are significant at the 5% level, but explain very little of the variation in height increase. This contribution improves the understanding of the present-day link between birth order and early child development in contemporary Flanders. In light of historical trends, our results indicate that the effect of birth order is consistent but particularly small during the first three years of early childhood. Part of the explanation for the changing role of birth order at the macro level can be found in the fertility decline, the general improvement in standards of living and the development of the welfare state. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Child undernutrition remains a major child health and developmental issue in low- and middle-income countries. The concentration (clustering) of underweight children among siblings at the family level is known to exist in India. This study examined the extent and covariates of clustering of underweight children at the sibling and family level in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state of northern India. Clustering of underweight (low weight-for-age) children was assessed using data on 7533 under-five children from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in 2005–06, analysed using binary logistic and binomial regression models. Related bio-demographic, socioeconomic and health care variables were used as covariates in the models. The odds of being underweight for the index child were about two times higher (OR=2.34, p<0.001) if any of the siblings within the household was malnourished or underweight. A longer birth interval increased the odds of a child being underweight. The odds of underweight were significantly lower (OR=0.69, p<0.001) for children born to normal-weight mothers compared with those born to underweight mothers. Similarly, the odds of underweight were significantly lower (OR=0.49, p=0.01) for children born to educated mothers (high school and above) compared with those born to illiterate mothers. The results of the binomial regression model suggested that the deviations between observed and expected number of children were positive (3.09, 3.78 and 2.71) for 1, 2 and 2+ underweight children within the households of underweight women, indicating the concentration of underweight children among underweight/malnourished mothers. Underweight children were found to be clustered among underweight mothers with multiple underweight siblings. The findings suggest that policy interventions need to focus on underweight mothers with multiple underweight children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives Pakistan is one of five nations contributing to half of the world's child mortality and holds under-five mortality rates which are nearly double global targets. Reasons for this shortfall include civil conflicts, political uncertainty, low education, poverty, rural-urban disparities, and limited health care access. The aim of this study was to explore associations between individual characteristics, community factors, and child mortality in Pakistan. Methods Data were derived from the 2012 to 2013 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, and included 7399 live births and 380 child deaths. Multivariate, multilevel logistic regression was used to model risk of neonatal, infant and under-five child deaths. Results Seventy-one percent of child deaths occurred during the neonatal period. Significant factors ( p < 0.05) associated with lower odds of child mortality included adhering to recommended minimum of 24 months interpregnancy interval and higher household wealth. These were significant for neonatal (OR 0.448; 0.871), infancy (OR 0.465; 0.881), and under-five deaths (OR 0.465; 0.879). Employed mothers had higher odds of neonatal (OR 1.479), infant (OR 1.506), and child mortality (OR 1.459). Likewise, women living in consanguineous marriages had higher odds of infant (OR 1.454) and under-five deaths (OR 1.381). Children in Balochistan, Punjab, and Sindh, regions disproportionately poor, rural with low levels of education, were at highest risk of dying. Conclusions for Practice Findings may assist in designing targeted interventions, developing appropriate public health messaging, and implementing policies designed to lower child mortality. Focusing on lowering rates of maternal poverty, increasing opportunities for education, and improving access to health care could assist in reducing child mortality in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, family planning metrics derived from nationally-representative household surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) categorise women into those desiring to space or limit (permanently stop) births, or according to their age in the case of young women. This conceptualisation potentially ignores a large and growing group of young women who desire to delay a first birth. This study uses household survey data to investigate the characteristics and needs for family planning of women who want to delay their first birth.Methods: The research was conducted in two rural districts in southern Tanzania (Tandahimba and Newala), and nested within the Expanded Quality Management Using Information Power (EQUIP) study. Data were collected as part of a repeated cross sectional household survey conducted between September 2013 and April 2014. The socio-demographic characteristics, including parity, contraceptive practices and fertility intentions of 2128 women aged 13-49 were analysed. The association between women's life stages of reproduction (delayers of first birth, spacers of subsequent pregnancies and limiters of future birth) and selected contraceptive outcomes (current use, unmet need and demand for modern contraceptives) was assessed using the point estimates and 95% confidence intervals for each indicator, adjusted for the survey design.Results: Overall, four percent of women surveyed were categorised as 'delayers of first birth', i.e. sexually active but not started childbearing. Among this group, the majority were younger than 20 years old (82%) and unmarried (88%). Fifty-nine percent were currently using a modern method of contraception and injectables dominated their contraceptive use. Unmet need for contraception was higher among delayers (41%; 95% CI 32-51) and limiters (41%; 95% CI 35-47) compared to spacers (19%; 95% CI 17-22).Conclusions: Delayers of first birth have very high unmet needs for modern contraceptives and they should be routinely and separately categorised and measured within nationally-representative surveys such as Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster surveys. Acknowledging their unique needs could help catalyse a programmatic response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the presence of newly acquired preterm birth (PTB) risk factors among primiparous women with no prior history of PTB.Design: Case-control study.Setting: Deliveries occurring within a large healthcare system from 2002 to 2012.Population: Women with their first two consecutive pregnancies carried to ≥20(0/7)  weeks' gestation.Methods: Those delivering the first pregnancy at term and the second preterm ≥20(0/7) and <37(0/7)  weeks (term-preterm cases) were compared with women with a term birth in their first two pregnancies (term-term controls). Social factors with the potential to change between the first and second pregnancies and intrapartum labour characteristics in the first pregnancy were compared between cases and controls.Main Outcome Measures: Risk factors for term-preterm sequence.Results: About 38 215 women met inclusion criteria; 1353 (3.8%) were term-preterm cases. Cases and controls were similar with regard to race/ethnicity and maternal age at the time of the first and second deliveries. Cases delivered their second pregnancy approximately 3 weeks earlier (35.7 versus 39.1, P < 0.001). In multivariable models accounting for known PTB risk factors, women with a caesarean delivery in the first pregnancy [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57-3.08], new tobacco use (aOR = 2.33; 95% CI 1.61-3.38), and an interpregnancy interval <18 months (aOR = 1.37; 95% CI 1.21-1.55) were at increased risk of term-preterm sequence.Conclusion: Caesarean delivery in the first pregnancy, new tobacco use, and short interpregnancy interval <18 months are significant risk factors for term-preterm sequence. Women should receive postpartum counselling regarding appropriate interpregnancy interval and cessation of tobacco use.Tweetable Abstract: Caesarean delivery in the 1st pregnancy is a significant risk factor for preterm birth following a term delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing empirical evidence on the effects of birth order on wages does not distinguish between temporary and permanent effects. Using data from 11 European countries for males born between 1935 and 1956, we show that firstborns enjoy on average a 13.7% premium in their entry wage compared with later-borns. This advantage, however, is short-lived and disappears 10 years after labor market entry. Although firstborns start with a better job, partially because of their higher education, later-borns quickly catch up by switching earlier and more frequently to better-paying jobs. We argue that a key factor driving our findings is that later-borns have lower risk aversion than firstborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the correlation between perinatal characteristics and risk of lupus using data from Sweden. Identification of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases from Sweden's National Patient Register and controls are conducted. Moreover, it concludes that birth order was significantly correlated with SLE.

Abstract: Objective: To reveal the prevalence of corporal punishment in a rural area of Colombia and its correlates to family structure and other socio-demographic variables. Method: A survey about childrearing and childcare was developed for this study, including a specific question about corporal punishment that was developed based on the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). Family structure was categorized as follows, based on previous literature: ‘nuclear family,’ ‘single parent’ family, ‘extended family,’ ‘simultaneous family’ and ‘composed family.’ Results: Forty-one percent of the parents surveyed admitted they had used corporal punishment of their children as a disciplinary strategy. The type of family structure, the number of children living at home, the age of the children, the gender of the parent who answered the survey, and the age and gender of the partner were significant predictors of corporal punishment. Conclusion: Family structure is an important variable in the understanding of corporal punishment, especially in regard to nuclear families that have a large number of children and parents who started their parental role early in life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: This study used data from recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to examine the impact of short or long preceding birth intervals on neonatal and under-five mortality. In order to minimize the effect of selection issues, we examined child mortality outcomes of the same mother, comparing short or long interval births against births with what had previously been considered optimal intervals. Methods: We analyzed 47 DHS datasets from low- and middle-income countries. For each dataset, we compared neonatal and under-five mortality of short preceding interval births (<18 months, <24 months) to reference interval births (24-<60 months) of a mother, using conditional logistic regression matching on the mother. We also conducted the same matched analysis for long (⩾60 months, ⩾72 months) preceding interval births. These associations were then meta-analyzed. We also stratified the analyses by mothers' completed fertility (fertility at end of reproductive period) to assess whether maternal characteristics highly correlated with completed fertility modify the association between birth interval and child mortality. Results: Children with shorter preceding intervals had increased odds of both neonatal (<24 months, OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.52-1.70) and under-five mortality (<24 months, OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.40-1.56). When the associations were stratified by the mothers' completed fertility, the impact of short intervals was greatly reduced or eliminated for low fertility mothers. In contrast, mortality associations became stronger for children of high fertility mothers. However, when the births of high fertility mothers were limited to birth orders 2-4, the associations were comparable to those of low fertility mothers. Longer preceding birth intervals had lower odds of mortality than reference intervals (i.e. under-5 mortality for ⩾60 months, OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.52-0.67). This effect was also mediated by mothers' completed fertility; there was a strong protective effect of longer birth intervals for the high fertility mothers but not for low fertility mothers. Conclusions: These analyses reproduced findings reported in previous literature that shorter birth intervals are associated with higher child mortality. However the negative impact of short birth intervals may only occur in high parity births. Reproductive health interventions that seek to lengthen birth intervals may have larger impact by targeting women with high parity. This finding is consistent with the concept of maternal depletion as the underlying cause of increased adverse child outcomes associated with shorter birth intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperprolific sows can have a long duration of farrowing, negatively impacting piglet survival and vitality. This study's objective was to assess the effect of a diet containing 6.6% resistant starch (RS) on sow and piglet farrowing performance. We hypothesized that a diet containing RS would decrease sow farrowing duration and improve piglet survival. Forty-two sows were balanced for parity and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: standard lactation diet (n = 21) or diet containing RS (n = 21). Sows were fed their respective diets from approximately 7d prefarrowing throughout lactation. Sow blood was drawn at three time points on d106±1.0 and d113±1.0 of gestation (pre-feeding, 2 and 6 h post-feeding) and during farrowing to measure blood glucose. Piglet umbilical blood (~3/litter; beginning, middle, end of birth order) was collected at birth and analyzed for glucose, lactate, pH, PCO2, PO2, TCO2, HCO3, BE, and sO2. Piglets were visually assessed at birth to score meconium staining. Data collected included farrowing duration, piglet birthing intervals, number of stillborn piglets/litter, sow and piglet weights, piglet mortality, and sow feed and water intake. Average litter sizes post-crossfoster for control and RS were similar, 12.1±0.4 and 11.6±0.4 piglets, respectively. Litter weight gain was similar between control and RS (44.97 vs. 47.54 kg, P = 0.33), respectively. Feeding resistant starch had no effect on number of stillborn piglets or pre-weaning survival (P > 0.75). Farrowing duration (178.9±17.6 min vs 165.2±18.0 min, P = 0.59) and piglet birth intervals (16.57±1.7 min and 14.89±1.8 min, P = 0.51) did not differ between control and RS, respectively. There was difference in sow blood glucose between diets (P = 0.02), day of sample (P < 0.0001), time point (P < 0.0001), and a day by time point interaction (P < 0.0001). Feeding RS to sows prefarrowing can modify sow blood glucose, but did not result in reduced farrowing duration or improved piglet survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infant mortality accounts for almost 67 percent of under-five child mortality that occurs globally. An understanding of factors related to infant mortality is important to guide the development of focused and evidence-based health interventions to reduce infant deaths. But no community based studies have been conducted to identify determinants of infant mortality in Ethiopia for the past two decades. The purpose of this study is to identify determinants of infant mortality in community of Gilgel Gibe Field Research Center, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: A community based matched case-control study was conducted. The study covered 133 infants who died during infancy between January 2010 and February 2011 in the study area. For each case, a control with approximately same date of birth and survived his/her first year of live and alive at time data collection was selected. Conditional logistic regression method was used to identify determinant factors of infant mortality using Epi-info 3.5.1 statistical software. Results: According to the final logistic regression model, not attending antenatal care follow-up [AOR=2.04, 95% CI: (1.04,4.02)], not using soap for hand washing before feeding child [AOR=2.50, 95% CI: (1.32,4.76)], negative perceived benefits of mother to modern treatment and prevention [AOR=2.76, 95% CI: (1.21,6.09)], small birth size [AOR=2.91, 95% CI: (1.01,8.46)] and high birth order with short birth interval [AOR=3.80, 95% CI: (1.20,11.98)] were found to be independent determinants of infant mortality. Conclusions: Antenatal care follow-up, hand washing habit with soap before feeding child, birth size, perceived benefits of mothers to modern treatment, birth order and preceding birth interval were determinants of infant mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Though birth interval has beneficial effects on health status of the mother and their children, it is affected by range of factors some of which are rooted in social and cultural norms and the reproductive behaviors of individual women. However, there was limited data showed the determinants of birth intervals in rural pastoral communities of South Ethiopia. Therefore, the study was aimed to assess the determinants of inter birth interval among women's of child bearing age in Yaballo Woreda, Borena zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based unmatched case-control study with multi stage sampling technique was conducted from January to March 2012. Cases were women with two subsequent birth intervals of less than three years and controls were women with two subsequent birth intervals between three and above years. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select six hundred fifty two (326 cases and 326 controls) study subjects. All explanatory variables that were associated with the outcome variable (birth interval) during bivariate analysis were included in the final logistic model. Multivariable backward logistic regression when P values less than or equal to 0.05 and 95% CI were used to determine independent determinants for the outcome of interest. Results: The median duration of birth interval was 31 & 40 months among cases and controls respectively. Variables such as number of children (AOR 3.73 95% CI: (1.50, 9.25), use of modern contraceptives (AOR 5.91 95% CI: (4.02, 8.69), mothers' educational status (AOR 1.89 95% CI: (1.15, 3.37), and sex of the child (AOR 1.72 95% CI: (1.17, 2.52) were significantly associated with birth intervals. Conclusions: Concerted efforts to encourage modern contraceptive use, women education, and breastfeeding should be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,898), this study investigated how the share, correlates, transition patterns, and duration of 3-generation households vary by mother's relationship status at birth. Nine percent of married mothers, 17% of cohabiting mothers, and 45% of single mothers lived in a 3-generation family household at the time of the child's birth. Incidence over time was much higher and most common among single-mother households: Sixty percent lived in a 3-generation family household at least 1 wave. Economic need, culture, and generational needs were associated with living in a 3-generation household; correlates varied by mother's relationship status. Three-generation family households were short lived, and transitions were frequent. Kin support through coresidence was an important source of support for families with young children and in particular families in which the parents were unwed at the time of their child's birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probability distribution of parity-specific closed birth intervals in a heterogeneous population of women is obtained from Biswas' (1980) concept of gradually decreasing fecundabilities. The distribution of parity-specific last closed birth intervals and its moments of various orders are derived for a heterogeneous female population. Simulations are used to compare with models for a homogeneous female population with constant fecundability. The consideration of heterogeneity allows a better fit for empirical closed birth intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex interrelationships between birth order, birth intervals, and sibling mortality clustering have been the source of much debate in historical demography and in the demography of the developing world. No clear resolution yet exists either about the relative importance of these factors in determining infant and child mortality or about the pathways through which they operate. This article re-examines the issue in the context of nineteenth-century Belgium through the use of population registers, which can go one step further than historical-demographic studies based on family-reconstitution data and contemporary studies based on birth-history data. The movements in and out of households that population registers record enable us to trace the presence or absence of siblings in a household at a particular point in time. Accommodating the number of siblings present in a household as a time-varying entity is important given that familial-mortality clustering may signal shared exposure to pathogens and competition for resources, both of which depend on the presence of co-resident siblings. This article therefore aims to understand child-mortality clustering though the medium of the household rather than the mother's birth history, permitting the de facto presence of siblings to be factored into the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Understanding the practice of birth spacing and factors which influence women's interbirth interval (IBI) is critical for countries like Iraq with high fertility levels. Objectives This study aimed at measuring the duration of the interval between births and determining some of the factors favored optimal spacing intervals of Iraqi women. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among ever married and having at least 2 live births 472 women during March 2008 in Al-Kadhimyia Teaching hospital. Data were obtained by interview questionnaire, included birth intervals, demographics, and fertility variables. Actual birth interval was measured and data were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Results The mean birth interval was 31.16 ± 21.56 ranged 9-228 months, and 65.6% of interbirth intervals were of less than 36 months. The multivariate regression revealed that older woman, a woman's husband higher education and having male children were the significant predictors of longer interbirth interval. Conclusions Relatively short interbirth interval found in the present study may help national health program conveying the message of optimum birth interval, with expanding education and employment opportunities for women can act as a motive for child spacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the association of family structure and maternal partnership instability patterns with adolescents' behavioral and emotional well-being among urban low-income families. Analyses employed data from the Three-City Study to track maternal partnerships over the youth's life span, linking longitudinal family structure and transition patterns to adolescent well-being (N = 2305). Families were classified into nine mutually exclusive longitudinal partnership groups based on current status at wave 3 (single, married, or cohabiting) and the longevity of that status: always (since adolescent's birth with no transitions), stable (lasting two years or more, preceded by transitions), or new (transpiring in the past 2 years). Adolescents in the always married group displayed less delinquency and externalizing problems, according to both youth and mother reports, than peers in always single-parent or newly married households. In contrast, youth in always cohabiting households had higher maternal ratings of internalizing problems and youth with newly cohabiting mothers reported higher psychological distress than peers in similar stability groups with single or married mothers. Overall, several potential explanatory processes for the family structure and stability patterns surfaced: married parent families reported less economic hardship, more family routines and father involvement, and less maternal psychological distress and parenting stress than their single and cohabiting counterparts. Policy implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article quantifies the contribution of pre-treatment dynamic selection to the relationship between fertility timing and postsecondary attainment, after controlling for a rich set of predetermined characteristics. Eventual mothers and nonmothers are matched using their predicted birth hazard rate, which shares the desirable properties of a propensity score but in a multivalued treatment setting. I find that eventual mothers and matched nonmothers enter college at the same rate, but their educational paths diverge well before the former become pregnant. This pre-pregnancy divergence creates substantial differences in ultimate educational attainment that cannot possibly be due to the childbirth itself. Controls for predetermined characteristics and fixed effects do not address this form of dynamic selection bias. A dynamic model of the simultaneous childbirth-education sequencing decision is necessary to address it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- Sibling experiences provide a proximal context for development and, in turn, are embedded in ecological niches within society. Using an ecological framework, this article reviews the complexity of sibling experiences in diverse family contexts within the United States, focusing on families that vary in ethnic background and family structure and identifying emerging family contexts that have been understudied in sibling research. The article also illustrates that it is essential to consider macrocontextual influences on microlevel sibling processes and emphasizes that sibling experiences cannot be fully understood using samples from a few communities and family types. The article concludes that the sibling context is a largely untapped window into understanding links among children's development, family context, and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth order effects are found in empirical work but lack solid theoretical foundations in economics. Our new modeling approach to children provides this. Each child’s needs change as it grows, and births are sequential. Each child has the same genetic makeup and parents do not favor one child over the other. Parental childcare time lowers the caregiver’s current and future wages; this opportunity cost varies across time. Benefits also vary and when parental childcare is a public input, coresident children allow economies of scope in childcare. Birth order effects emerge from the changing benefits and costs. ( JEL D13, D91, J13) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short birth intervals can have adverse consequences for maternal and infant outcomes. Optimal birth spacing is often presumed to be achieved through the practice of family planning and use of contraceptives, yet most of the available research does not address explicitly the contribution of contraceptive-method use to birth spacing or maternal and infant survival. We conducted a systematic literature review to assess the body of evidence linking contraceptive use to birth-interval length. Fourteen studies published in English between 1980 and 2008 met our eligibility criteria for inclusion. The findings from these studies are mixed but suggest that the use of contraceptives is protective against short birth intervals. Although results are favorable, many of the studies and methodologies employed are dated. More current research is needed to determine the impact of contraceptive-method use on birth-interval length in order to inform the promotion of family planning for reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality through birth spacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]