The widening gap in low birthweight rates between extreme social groups in Poland during 1985-90

Maternal education and perinatal outcomes among Spanish women residing in southern Spain (2001-2011)

Evidence suggests that educational differences in perinatal outcomes have increased in some countries (Eastern Europe) while remained stable in others (Scandinavian countries). However, less is known about the experience of Southern Europe. This study aims to evaluate the association between maternal education and perinatal outcomes derived from birthweight (low birthweight and macrosomia) and gestational age (pre-term and post-term births) among Spaniards living in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia during the period 2001-2011 (around 19 % of births in Spain); and to evaluate whether the educational differences narrowed or widened during that period, which includes both an economic boom (2001-2008) and the global economic crisis (2009-2011). This study uses the Andalusian Population Longitudinal Database and the Vital Statistics Data provided by the Spanish National Statistics Institute. We study live and singleton births of Spanish mothers who lived in Andalusia at the time of delivery (n = 404,951). ORs with 95 % confidence intervals (crude and adjusted) were estimated using multinomial regression models. A negative educational gradient is observed in all perinatal outcomes studied (i.e., the higher the educational status, the lower the risk of negative perinatal outcomes). However, when disaggregating the sample in two periods, the gradient is only statistically significant for pre-term birth during 2001-2008, while a full gradient is observed in all perinatal indicators in the period 2009-2011 with an increase in the educational inequalities in macrosomia and post-term. Further studies are needed in order to confirm whether there is a causal association between the widening of the educational differences in perinatal outcomes and the onset of the economic crisis in Spain, or the widening can be explained by other factors, such as changes in childbearing patterns and the composition of women accessing motherhood.

Low birthweight in Germany 1990-92

The reunification in 1990 of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) produced profound social transformations. Changes in the distribution of low birthweight (LBW, < 2500 g) in the two parts of the country between 1990 and 1992 have been studied by analysing vital statistics for the period. In absolute numbers, livebirths in the former FRG remained stable, while those in the former GDR declined by 51%. Numbers of LBW livebirths increased slightly in the former FRG and decreased in the former GDR; those in the category between 500 and 999 g remained stable in the former GDR and increased in the former FRG. However in terms of proportion, livebirths in this category doubled in the former GDR. Migration rates for the same period showed a shifting population from East to West particularly of young people, and maternal age-specific numbers of livebirths decreased in both countries. Psychosocial stress may have contributed to the rise in ELBW, but it is also possible that the improvement and sharing of perinatal management strategies may have led to increased survival of babies < 1000 g. Most importantly, the observed rise in the proportion of ELBW births (except those < 500 g) could be a result of the introduction of the more comprehensive definition of livebirth into the former GDR.