Demographic Predictors and Child Health Outcomes of Unplanned Pregnancy in a Mid-Michigan Cohort

Abstract

Unplanned pregnancy: a pregnancy that is either mistimed or unwanted1 Approximately 6.7 million pregnancies in the U.S. per year, an average 49% of them are unplanned2,3 The average U.S. woman spends on average, five years of her life pregnant, postpartum, or trying to become pregnant and 30 years attempting to “avoid” pregnancy4 Demographic differences and poor pregnancy outcomes are often associated with unplanned pregnancies5 Increased likelihood for reporting unplanned pregnancy: non-white, younger, low income, less education, unmarried1,6,7 Having an unplanned pregnancy: increased odds of low birth weight, pre-term birth, and not breastfeeding7,8 Aim of Study: Determine the associations and most indicative factor(s) that exist between reporting an unplanned pregnancy and sociodemographic factors, maternal behavior, and child health outcomes