Maternal age and infant birthweight a study on teenagers pregnancy in Umuarama – Paraná state

Abstract

Aiming at providing regional data, a study relating infant’s birthweight and maternal age, was carried out during the year of 2001 in Umuarama – PR, Brazil. Data were collected at the System of Information on Alive Newborns (SINASC). Among the births occurred in 2001, 19.1% were from women of 10-19 years of age, considered as adolescents. From all the infants of adolescent mothers, 9.9% had low birthweight, and among the mothers of 10-14 years old, 28.6% of the infants weighted less than 2,500g. There is a strong correlation between low weight at birth and low age of the mother. The age that presents the greatest risk is that of 10-14.