Changes in Maternal Characteristics in Nova Scotia, Canada from 1988 to 2001

Changes in Maternal Characteristics in Nova Scotia, Canada from 1988 to 2001

Type of Study Design

It is an observational study as the purpose of the study was to describe the changes in recent trends in the selected subjects with maternal characteristics in Nova Scotia. The data was collected from the study population comprising on the women living in Nova Scotia, Canada. The subjects who were included in the study had either delivered the live birth or stillbirth between the periods of 1988 to 2001. The data used in the study was obtained from Nova Scotia Perinatal Database (NSADP). NSADP has collected the detailed information about all the deliveries which took place in the province since 1988. The study is said to be an observational study because it only studies the maternal characteristics including age, pre-pregnancy weight, parity, delivery weight and pregnancy weight gain. Data was also collected on smoking habits at the time of hospital admission. Since there is no intervention and the results shows that the dramatic changes were observed in several maternal characteristics and the evidence also support of the ongoing change. These changing trends also will continue to impact the future practices followed in obstetrics, childbirth and perinatal health.

Observational Study is a study in which the researcher is simply involved in observing the behavior of the subjects in a systematic manner without any intervention or influencing the behavior. The role of the researcher is only to record the data which is under observation. There are different types of rating scales that a researcher might use during the observations. Observation studies can be followed in the natural environment or in a laboratory environment (Rosenbaum, 2005).

Birth/Lives Statistical Analysis

According to Canadian statistics 30% of the live births were to women who aged from 30 to 34 years, and this statistics an increase was observed to 58% from 1981. The stats of US are different from that observed in Canada, in US the birth rate in women aged between 40-44 years increased up to 44%, 5.5 % per 1000 in 1990 to 7.9% per 1000 in 2000.

Findings and Knowledge

The findings of the research study were 151, 268 deliveries were recorded in Nova Scotia from 1988 to 2001, and of which 1.2% were the multiple pregnancies. Mean maternal age calculated to be at the time of delivery was from 27.1 years in 1988 which increased up to 28.9 years in 2001. The prevalence of maternal smoking was also much high, and the largest decrease occurred among women in the early thirties. Smoking prevalence was recorded to be highest approximately 50% in the women less than 20 years, and it kept consistent throughout the study. The trends in weight gain were also recorded among all the age groups. Mean delivery weight gain increased from 76.3kg in 1988 to 84.7 kg in 2001. However, overall the weight gain remained below and above the recommended guidelines. Dramatic changes were also observed in the selected maternal ...