| 1. Peer Reviewed Title: Maternal-child health in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil: major conclusions from comparisons of the 1982, 1993, and 2004 birth cohorts. Author: Barros FC; Victora CG Source: Cadernos de Saude Publica. 2008;24 Suppl 3:S461-7. Abstract: Important changes were observed in maternal characteristics, health care indicators, and child health during the 22 years covered by the three population-based birth cohort studies conducted in the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Maternal education levels improved, cigarette smoking during pregnancy was reduced, and birth intervals became longer. Also, there were more single mothers, and maternal obesity increased. Coverage of antenatal and delivery care by professionals improved, but inductions and caesarean sections increased markedly, the latter accounting for 45% of deliveries in 2004. With regard to child health, the reductions in neonatal and infant mortality rates were modest, and the significant increase in preterm births--14.7% of all births in 2004--appears to have colluded with this stagnation. Other infant health indicators, such as immunization coverage and breastfeeding duration, showed improvements over the period. Regarding infant nutrition, malnourishment at age 12 months decreased, but the prevalence of overweight was higher in 2004. The existence of three population-based birth cohorts using comparable methodology allowed for the study of important secular trends in maternal and child health. Language: English Keywords: BRAZIL | RESEARCH REPORT | EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS | LONGITUDINAL STUDIES | COHORT ANALYSIS | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | INFANT | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PREVALENCE | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | TOBACCO USE | BIRTH INTERVALS | OBESITY | MATERNAL HEALTH | INFANT HEALTH | Developing Countries | South America, Eastern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Research Methodology | Studies | Economic Development | Economic Factors | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Measurement | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Behavior | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Body Weight | Physiology | Biology | Health | Child Health Document Number: 330447 |
2.  Title: Born into bastardy: The out-of-wedlock child in early victorian Cape Town. Author: Malherbe VC Source: Journal of Family History. 2007 Jan;32(1):21-44. Abstract: "Born into Bastardy" contributes to research into family life and law as it evolved in South Africa's "mother city" from the seventeenth century. It traces the legal framework in which illegitimacy occurred and the experience of out-of-wedlock children when the father was absent or negligent in providing support. Histories of illegitimacy lead to considerations of the destruction of unwanted children by abortion and infanticide, or their abandonment to custodial care. The early years of Victoria's reign coincided with the emancipation of slaves throughout the British Empire. The fact that Cape Town had been home to slaves for whom marriage was proscribed until very recent times affects significantly this account of children born into bastardy. (author's) Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | HISTORICAL REVIEW | CHILDREN | UNMARRIED FATHERS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | SLAVES | ILLEGITIMACY | CHILD SUPPORT | CHILD REARING | INFANTICIDE | ABORTION | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fathers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Mothers | Social Problems | Behavior | Crime | Fertility Control, Postconception | Family Planning Document Number: 322499 Notification |
| 3. Title: Evaluating the effectiveness of programs to improve educational attainment of unwed African American teen mothers: a meta analysis. Author: Baytop CM Source: Journal of Negro Education. 2006 Summer;75(3):458-477. Abstract: This study applied methods to synthesis the findings and examine the effects of interventions, including secondary teen pregnancy prevention programs, on educational attainment among unwed African American teen mothers. Multiple search strategies were employed to identify published and unpublished reports of randomized and non-randomized intervention studies that evaluated the impact on school enrollment and completion among adolescent mother (aged 13-19) in the U.S. from 1970-2003. Eligible criteria were applied to yield 29 studies. Based on the pooled estimates of 15 randomized studies, the results suggest that secondary teen pregnancy prevention programs and other interventions or adolescent mothers have had minimal impact on increasing rates of educational attainment among adolescent mothers. The 14 non-randomized studies, primarily based on school-based interventions, estimated significantly larger effects that are not reliable due to the inherent selection bias in these studies. Future research is needed to explore the influence on study characteristics on intervention effect. Recommendations for program and policy makers are reported. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | LITERATURE REVIEW | DATA ANALYSIS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | BLACKS | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | SCHOOL ENROLLMENT | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | INTERVENTIONS | PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS | PROGRAM EVALUATION | SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES | North America | Americas | Developed Countries | Research Methodology | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Adolescents | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Ethnic Groups | Cultural Background | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Programs | Organization and Administration Document Number: 314695 |
| 4. Title: UNICEF fights for the rights of Romania's abandoned children. Source: Connections. 2005 Feb-Mar;:[1] p.. Abstract: "A nurse at the maternity hospital told me that it would be better for me to try not to get attached to my baby, to leave him there and start a new life," recalls a 17 year-old single mother who did not know where she could find support for herself and her son and was advised to give him up. Roughly two percent of all women giving birth in Romania abandon their children immediately after delivery, leaving their newborns at maternity hospitals and pediatric institutions and making them wards of the state. The majority of these women are very young, poorly educated, and live below the poverty line, according to a recent UNICEF report cited in an article in Medical News Today. Societal factors also play a role in perpetuating this practice, explains Pierre Poupard, a UNICEF representative in Romania. "Unfortunately, young mothers going into hospitals are confronted with conservative attitudes and practices. The system remains very traditional and penalizes the poor and marginalized," he acknowledges. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: ROMANIA | PROGRESS REPORT | EVALUATION | INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES | ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT | UNICEF | CHILD ABUSE | LEGISLATION | SOCIAL PROTECTION | Developing Countries | Europe, Southeastern | Europe | Organizations | Political Factors | Sociocultural Factors | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Economic Development | Economic Factors | UN | Crime | Social Problems Document Number: 297215 |
| 5. Peer Reviewed Title: Systematic review of sexual risk among pregnant and mothering teens in the USA: pregnancy as an opportunity for integrated prevention of STD and repeat pregnancy. Author: Meade CS; Ickovics JR Source: Social Science and Medicine. 2005;60:661-678. Abstract: Behaviors that lead to teen pregnancy also place young women at risk for STDs and repeat pregnancy. Compared to the broad literature on adolescent sexual risk-behavior, our understanding of sexual risk in pregnant/mothering teens lags far behind. Primary objectives of this systematic review (1981–2003) of pregnant/mothering teens were to: (1) document rates of STD, repeat pregnancy, condom use, and contraception; (2) identify correlates of these biological and behavioral outcomes; (3) review sexual risk-reduction interventions; and (4) discuss directions for future research and implications for clinical care. Fifty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Rates of STD and repeat pregnancy were high, with the majority of teens engaging in unprotected sex during and after pregnancy. An Ecological Model of Sexual Risk, based on Bronfenbrenner’s (1989) Ecological Systems Theory, was proposed to organize findings on correlates of sexual risk. Improvements in research, including integration of outcomes and risk factors, stronger methodologies, and standardized assessments, are essential. Results suggest that teen pregnancy is a marker for future sexual risk behavior and adverse outcomes, and that pregnant/mothering teens need hybrid interventions promoting dual use of condoms and hormonal contraception. Pregnancy may provide a critical ‘‘window of opportunity’’ for sexual risk-reduction. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | LITERATURE REVIEW | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PREGNANT WOMEN | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE PREVENTION | RISK BEHAVIOR | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | INTERVENTIONS | FAMILY PLANNING EDUCATION | CONTRACEPTIVE USAGE | CONDOM USE | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Adolescents | Youth | Age Factors | Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Reproductive Tract Infections | Infections | Diseases | Behavior | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Programs | Organization and Administration | Education | Contraception | Family Planning | Risk Reduction Behavior Document Number: 276855 |
| 6. Peer Reviewed Title: Out-of-wedlock childbearing, marital prospects and mate selection. Author: Qian Z; Lichter DT; Mellott LM Source: Social Forces. 2005 Sep;84(1):473-491. Abstract: We apply marital search theory to examine whether out-of-wedlock childbearing affects mate selection patterns among American women. Using 1980-1995 CPS data, we apply probit models with selection to account for potential selection bias due to differences in “marriage-ability” between women in and not in unions. Compared to those without unmarried births, women with unmarried births are more likely to cohabit than to marry, and they are more likely to have less-educated and older spouses or partners. White women with unmarried births are also more likely than those without to have husbands or partners of another race. Thus, women with unmarried births tend to cohabit and are less “well matched.” These results have important implications for public policy that increasingly regards marriage as a panacea for low-income women. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | WOMEN | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | CHILDBIRTH | MATE SELECTION | OBSTACLES | North America | Americas | Developed Countries | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Pregnancy Outcomes | Pregnancy | Reproduction | Marriage | Nuptiality | Organization and Administration Document Number: 292538 |
| 7. Peer Reviewed Title: Mortality among twins born to unmarried teenagers in the United States. Author: Salihu HM; Mbuba CK; Oluwatade OJ; Aliyu MH Source: Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2005 Sep;9(3):229-235. Abstract: The objective of this study is to determine the association between unmarried status and infant mortality among twins born to teenagers. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on twin live births to teenagers in the United States from 1995 through 1998 using the Vital Records assembled by the National Center for Health Statistics. We compared mortality estimates among twins of single to those of married mothers using the generalized estimating equation framework, which also adjusted for intracluster correlations. Analysis involved 28592 individual twins of teenager mothers, with both cluster members being live-born. Out of these, 21.8% (n = 6238) were born to married and 78.2% (n = 22,354) to single mothers. Infant and postneonatal mortality was 17% and 36% higher among twins of single teenager mothers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-1.40) and (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.01-1.87), respectively. However, neonatal mortality was comparable (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.92-1.34). Twins of single mothers were also more likely to be of low birth weight, very low birth weight, preterm and very preterm (p < 0.0001) but had the same risk level for smallness for gestational age as compared to twins of married teenagers. Single motherhood was associated with increased infant mortality among twins born to teenagers. The critical time of elevated risk was the postneonatal period and the survival disadvantage of twins of single mothers was as a result of the higher-than-expected level of preterm rather than small for gestational age births. These findings have potential clinical and public health relevance. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | COHORT ANALYSIS | RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADOLESCENTS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | MULTIPLE BIRTH | LOW BIRTH WEIGHT | INFANT MORTALITY | North America | Americas | Developed Countries | Research Methodology | Studies | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Sociocultural Factors | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Reproduction | Birth Weight | Body Weight | Physiology | Biology | Mortality Document Number: 298836 |
| 8. Peer Reviewed Title: Do family caps reduce out-of-wedlock births? Evidence from Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey and Virginia. Author: Dyer WT; Fairlie RW Source: Population Research and Policy Review. 2004;23:441-473. Abstract: During the 1990s, 23 states implemented family cap policies as a means to reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock births among welfare recipients. Using Current Population Survey data from 1989 to 1999, we examine the impact of family cap policies on the birth rates of single, less-educated women with children. We use the first five states that were granted waivers from the Department of Health and Human Services to implement family caps as ‘‘natural experiments.’’ Specifically, we compare trends in out-of- wedlock birth rates in Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey and Virginia to trends in states that did not implement family caps or any other waivers prior to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. We employ several techniques to increase the credibility of results from our ‘‘natural experiment,’’ such as the inclusion of multiple comparison groups, controls for differential time trends, and ‘‘difference-in-difference-in-differences’’ estimators. Our regression estimates generally do not provide evidence that family cap policies reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock births among single, less-educated women with children. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | CASE CONTROL STUDIES | ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES | WOMEN | LOW INCOME POPULATION | VOLUNTARY CHILDLESSNESS | BIRTH RATE | INCIDENCE | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Fertility Measurements | Measurement | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Government Financing | Financial Activities Document Number: 279174 |
| 9. Peer Reviewed Title: Attitudes of welfare recipients toward marriage and childbearing. Author: Mauldon JG; London RA; Fein DJ; Patterson R; Sommer H Source: Population Research and Policy Review. 2004;23:595-640. Abstract: The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) put the need for attitudinal change at the center of efforts to help welfare recipients become economically independent, avoid out-of-wedlock childbearing, and embrace marriage. In this paper, we focus specifically on attitudes, analyzing both differences in values and attitudes between welfare recipients and other women on the cusp of reform, as well as the effects of TANF reforms in two states on the attitudes and behaviors of women subject to the reforms. National data reveal few differences in values and attitudes between welfare recipients and other women once background characteristics are held constant. A majority of both groups believes that prospective parents should marry, but single parents can raise a child as well as married parents. Personal aspirations for marriage and further childbearing also are fairly similar. These similarities may be one reason that the literature has shown TANF to have limited effects on marriage and childbearing. A second set of analyses investigates the degree to which welfare recipients in Delaware and Indiana report that reforms affected their aspirations for marriage and childbearing. Self-reported impacts are greater for fertility than marriage attitudes. Even among those who report their attitudes were affected by reform, recipients appear to have difficulty acting on their marital and childbearing desires, dampening any effects on behavior. These findings reinforce the current sense among researchers and policy makers that more direct reforms are needed to have a substantial effect on marriage and out-of-wedlock childbearing. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | KAP SURVEYS | WOMEN | LOW INCOME POPULATION | LITIGATION | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ATTITUDES | VALUE ORIENTATION | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Factors | Population | Social Class | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Psychological Factors | Behavior | Government Financing | Financial Activities Document Number: 279175 |
| 10. Title: The politics of sexual knowledge: the origins of Ireland's containment culture and the Carrigan Report (1931). Author: Smith JM Source: Journal of the History of Sexuality. 2004 Apr;13(2):208-233. Abstract: The suppressed political debates surrounding the Carrigan Report authorized Ireland’s institutional containment of perceived “sexual immorality.” Moreover, although never explicitly articulated, this was legislatively provided for by the Criminal Law Amendment Act (1935). Reinterpreting this period in Irish social history in light of recently released archival material underscores how the Church and state shared an agenda in effecting this legislative and institutional infrastructure. All parties to these discussions favored the containment of extramarital sexual practice in institutions managed by religious orders. By handing control for these institutions over to the Catholic Church, the state not only failed to assert independence in social provision but also abdicated responsibility for the most vulnerable of the nation’s citizenry. Disposing of sexualized women and children in religious institutions rendered the compromising reality of their existence invisible. In return, the nation secured its identity as a Catholic and morally pure society. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: IRELAND | HISTORICAL REVIEW | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | WOMEN | CHILD | EXTRAMARITAL SEX BEHAVIOR | SEXUAL ABUSE | POLITICAL FACTORS | RELIGIOUS ASPECTS | CATHOLICISM | LAWS AND STATUTES | CONTRACEPTION | Developed Countries | Europe, Western | Europe | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Demographic Factors | Population | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Sex Behavior | Behavior | Crime | Social Problems | Religion | Christianity | Family Planning Document Number: 279914 |
| 11. Title: The education / training requirement for TANF teen parents. Author: Center For Law and Social Policy [CLASP] Source: Washington, D.C., Center For Law and Social Policy [CLASP], 2003 May. [6] p. (Reauthorization Issues) Abstract: The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program prohibits states from spending federal funds on assistance to an unmarried, custodial minor parent caring for a child 12 weeks of age or older, unless the minor parent has completed high school or its equivalent or participates in appropriate educational activities (standard school or approved alternatives, including training programs). A “minor” under TANF includes those under the age of 18 as well as 18-year-olds who participate full-time in school. The term “participation” in education/training is left to the states to define. No similar federal requirement exists for married minor parents or teen parents who are not minors, but states may elect to impose such requirements as a condition of receiving benefits. States may also use their own funds, in accordance with federal regulations, to assist those ineligible for federal TANF assistance. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | ADOLESCENTS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | SOCIAL WELFARE | LAWS AND STATUTES | EDUCATION | POLITICAL FACTORS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics Document Number: 276793 |
12.  Title: Improving access to TANF for teen parents: recommendations for reauthorization. Author: Center For Law and Social Policy [CLASP] Source: Washington, D.C., Center For Law and Social Policy [CLASP], [2003]. 5 p. Abstract: Teen parents may receive their own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance grants if they meet certain eligibility criteria. Like their older counterparts, teen parents must agree to adhere to certain rules. In addition, the TANF statute has two rules that apply only to minor parents (typically, those under 18 years of age.) The minor parent education/training rule prohibits states from awarding TANF cash grants to minor parents unless they are participating in education or training activities. The minor parent living arrangement rule prohibits states from awarding TANF cash grants to minor parents unless they are living with a parent, legal guardian, or another adult relative, or in a living arrangement approved by the state. In addition, the 6-month lifetime assistance time clock ticks for a minor parent who is either a head of household or married to a head of household. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | ADOLESCENTS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | SOCIAL WELFARE | LAWS AND STATUTES | EDUCATION | LIVING ARRANGEMENTS | SOCIAL POLICY | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Policy Document Number: 276795 |
| 13. Title: How early is the timing of family formation in rural Cameroon? [Quel est l'âge moyen à partir duquel il est choisi de former une famille dans les régions rurales du Cameroun ?] Author: Bangha MW Source: African Population Studies/Etude de la Population Africaine. 2003 Apr 1;18(1):1-18. Abstract: Most recent demographic studies suggest that women are postponing marriage to their twenties. However, data from the 1978 Cameroon Fertility Survey and 1991 Demographic and Health survey suggest that an average rural woman in Cameroon experiences marriage and motherhood very early in life even by Sub-Saharan African standards. By the time a cohort of women is celebrating its 20th anniversary; very few are single. While marriage is closely tied with motherhood experience, an appreciable number of rural women do start sexual relationships and have their first birth seven before contracting a socially recognized marital union. Marriage does not seem to be the prerequisite for childbearing as 21% of the never married women (mostly teenagers)were already into motherhood. (author's) French Abstract: La plupart des études en démographie ont montré que les femmes diffèrent leur mariage jusqu'à l'âge de vingt ans. Cependant, pour une femme du milieu rural du Cameroun, tout indique qu'elle se marie ou commence la maternité très tôt dans sa vie même par comparaison aux normes en usage en Afrique sub-saharienne. Quand un groupe de femme célèbre son vingtième anniversaire, seules quelques rares parmi elles sont encore célibataires. Même si le mariage est étroitement lié à leur expérience en tant que mère, beaucoup de femmes commencent à avoir des rapports sexuels et enregistrent leur première naissance bien avant qu'elles ne contractent un mariage socialement accepté. Donc, le mariage ne semble pas être une condition pour le démarrage d'une vie sexuelle ou de la maternité puisque 21 % des femmes qui n'ont jamais été mariées (dont la plupart sont des adolescentes) étaient déjà mères. (de l'auteur) Language: English Keywords: AFRICA, SUB SAHARAN | RESEARCH REPORT | FERTILITY SURVEYS | FAMILY PLANNING SURVEYS | MOTHERS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADULTS | WOMEN | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | RURAL POPULATION | REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | MARRIAGE AGE | PREMARITAL SEX BEHAVIOR | FIRST INTERCOURSE | EDUCATION | MARRIAGE PATTERNS | POLYGYNY | CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE | Africa | Developing Countries | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Family Planning | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Adolescents | Youth | Marriage | Nuptiality | Sex Behavior | Behavior | Contraceptive Usage | Contraception Document Number: 179479 |
| 14. Title: Teen parents and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: a summary of recent Congressional action. Author: Grisham C; Levin-Epstein J Source: Washington, D.C., Center For Law and Social Policy [CLASP], 2003 Aug 7. 8 p. Abstract: The high rate of teen births and questions about how to reduce the number of out-of-wedlock births—including subsequent births to teen parents—were of particular concern during the 1996 overhaul of the federal welfare program. As a result, the law that replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program contained two provisions that proponents expected would increase the economic self-sufficiency of minor parents and their families: minor parent recipients are required to participate in education or training and are required to reside in an approved living situation, typically with a parent or other adult relative. This paper summarizes Congressional action in 2001-2003 related to teen parents and TANF. The TANF law was not reauthorized when it expired at the end of September 2002 and now operates under a continuing resolution. In 2002, the House passed a measure, but a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee never reached the floor. The House passed a measure in 2003 almost identical to the one passed the year before, while the Senate has yet this year to deliberate reauthorization. The current status of reauthorization in 2003 has resulted in little discussion specifically related to teen parents. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | ADOLESCENTS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | POLICYMAKERS | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | SOCIAL WELFARE | LAWS AND STATUTES | EDUCATION | POLITICAL FACTORS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Administrative Personnel | Organization and Administration | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Programs | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics Document Number: 276794 |
| 15. Title: The impact of urbanization on family structure: the experience of Sarawak, Malaysia. Author: Hew CS Source: Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia. 2003 Apr;18(1):89-109. Abstract: This paper argues that women and men encounter the processes of migration and urbanization in very gendered ways. It examines state development policies and their role in accelerating the pace of urbanization. Using material from a recently concluded study on single mothers in the lower socio-economic strata, this paper explores the impact of these wider processes on the structure of the family and women from this strata specifically. (author's) Language: English Keywords: MALAYSIA | EUROPE | PHILOSOPHICAL OVERVIEW | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | MIGRANTS | WOMEN | RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION | LABOR MIGRATION | URBANIZATION | DEVELOPMENT POLICY | IMPACT | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ONE PARENT FAMILY | HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD | FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS | DIVORCE | GENDER ISSUES | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | CHANGES | Asia, Southeastern | Asia | Developing Countries | Developed Countries | Studies | Research Methodology | Migration | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Urban Population Distribution | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Policy | Communication | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family and Household | Households | Nuptiality | Economic Factors | Social Change Document Number: 179530 |
| 16. Title: Teen parents and abstinence education. Research findings: 2003. Author: Levin-Epstein J Source: Washington, D.C., Center for Law and Social Policy [CLASP], 2003 Dec 18. 11 p. Abstract: Research Findings: 2003 is designed as a reference tool for practitioners, policymakers, and others interested in teen parents (and particularly their relationship to welfare programs) and abstinence education. Research Findings: 2003 pulls together research that focuses specifically on these topics, as well as selected broader studies that include findings on teen parents or abstinence education. Not included in this listing is the wealth of research on the broad topic of teen pregnancy prevention, except as it relates to welfare. The following summaries are drawn directly from or paraphrase the research papers themselves. This compilation does not evaluate the validity of the studies or their methodology. Each summary includes a link to a web posting of the full research report, article, or presentation or the e-mail address of one of the researchers. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | LITERATURE REVIEW | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADOLESCENTS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | SOCIAL WELFARE | LIVING ARRANGEMENTS | EDUCATION | ABSTINENCE | SEX EDUCATION | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Family Planning, Behavioral Methods | Family Planning Document Number: 276800 |
| 17. Title: Teens and TANF: how adolescents fare under the nation's welfare program. Author: Levin-Epstein J; Hutchins J Source: Menlo Park, California, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003 Dec. 8 p. (Issue Brief: an Update on Women's Health Policy) Abstract: Teen parents were at the center of the policy debates that created Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1996. This new law transformed the nation’s welfare system from a federal entitlement program focused largely on cash assistance for poor families to a state block grant system that emphasizes employment and places a lifetime limit on benefits. With research showing that historically almost one-half of all welfare beneficiaries had their first child in their adolescent years, some lawmakers argued that poverty and welfare dependence were driven in large part by increasing numbers of single-parent families, many started by unmarried teen mothers. As a result, the 1996 welfare legislation contained several provisions designed to address concerns about both adolescent parenting and single parenthood. Teen parents who are still minors generally must live in an approved, supervised setting (preferably at home with their parents) and must participate in school or training to qualify for benefits – requirements that the law’s proponents believed improve the chances that a teen mother will finish her education and, thus, succeed in the labor market. The law’s explicit goals also include preventing non-marital births, encouraging marriage, and strengthening two-parent families of all ages. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADOLESCENTS | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | SOCIAL WELFARE | LIVING ARRANGEMENTS | PREMARITAL PREGNANCY | EDUCATION | ABSTINENCE | SEX EDUCATION | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Government Financing | Financial Activities | Economic Factors | Residence Characteristics | Population Distribution | Geographic Factors | Family Planning, Behavioral Methods | Family Planning Document Number: 276799 |
| 18. Peer Reviewed Title: Child gender and the transition to marriage. Author: Lundberg S; Rose E Source: Demography. 2003 May;40(2):333-349. Abstract: We estimate the effect of a child's gender on the mother's probability of marriage or remarriage using data from the PSID Marital History and Childbirth and Adoption History Files. We find that the birth of a son speeds the transition into marriage when the child is born before the mother’s first marriage. A competing-risks analysis shows that the positive effect of a son is stronger for marriages to the child's biological father than for other marriages. We find no significant effect of child gender on the mother's remarriage probabilities when the children are born within a previous marriage. These results are consistent with a marital-search model in which sons, more than daughters, increase the value of marriage relative to single parenthood. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | STATISTICAL REGRESSION | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | DIVORCED | WOMEN | WIDOWED | CHILD | GENDER ISSUES | AGE FACTORS | MARRIAGE | REMARRIAGE | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Data Analysis | Research Methodology | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Marital Status | Nuptiality | Demographic Factors | Population | Youth | Population Characteristics | Marriage Patterns Document Number: 180649 |
| 19. Title: Inside a crisis pregnancy center. Lessons learned about bad fathers, young mothers, despair, and hope. Author: Tushnet E Source: Weekly Standard. 2003 Feb 10;8(21):29-31. Abstract: The Capital Hill Pregnancy Center in Washington, D.C., where I've been working as a volunteer for over a year, is a pro-life Christian ministry to pregnant women and poor families. Like most pro-life pregnancy centers, it offers free pregnancy tests, confidential counseling, referrals to outside services like child care, job banks, and housing, and basic material aid like diapers, formula, cribs, and clothes for mother and child. It also provides a childbirth class and a parenting class, and runs abstinence programs in nearby schools. CHPC is one of about 3,000 pro-life pregnancy centers in the United States, and one of some 600 in North America affiliated with the umbrella group CareNet. Our little center is nestled in a half-gentrified residential neighborhood of Northeast Washington, 15 minutes' walk from the Capitol. We see about 1,000 clients a year, most of them under 25, virtually all of them unmarried, so our accumulated counseling experience gives us a certain perspective on the matter of why women get pregnant out of wedlock--as a record number of American women now do. (In 2001, 33.5 percent of U.S. births were to unmarried women.) We conduct extended interviews with most of our clients and usually cover a number of standard questions. In women's responses, I've noticed four main themes: fatherlessness, fatalism, an attenuated concept of marriage, and the intermittent use of contraception. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | CLINIC ACTIVITIES | FATHERS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PREGNANT WOMEN | PREGNANCY | POVERTY | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | North America | Americas | Developed Countries | Program Activities | Programs | Organization and Administration | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Mothers | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Reproduction | Economic Factors Document Number: 287430 |
| 20. Title: Adolescent mothers' depression after the birth of their babies: weathering the storm. Author: Clemmens DA Source: Adolescence. 2002 Fall;37(147):551-565. Abstract: This phenomenological study explored the experiences of adolescent mothers with depression following the birth of their babies. A sample of 20 English speaking participants, between the ages of 16 and 18, were asked to reflect upon and describe their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about being depressed after the birth of their babies. Significant statements were extracted from each of the transcribed interviews and meanings formulated that reflected the intent of the statements. The meanings were organized into six theme clusters. A written, exhaustive description was reviewed by study participants for credibility and trustworthiness of the findings. The metaphor of being hit by a nor'easter storm emerged from the participants' descriptions of their experiences and was threaded throughout the description of the themes. Implications for practice and directions for future research are presented. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | INTERVIEWS | POSTPARTUM WOMEN | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | DEPRESSION | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Data Collection | Research Methodology | Puerperium | Reproduction | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Adolescents | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mental Disorders | Diseases | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics Document Number: 288653 |
| 21. Title: [Healthy, legitimate children: on marriage and social assistance in Argentina (1935-1948)] Hijos sanos y legitimos: sobre matrimonio y asistencia social en Argentina (1935-1948). Author: Di Liscia MS Source: História, Ciências, Saúde - Manguinhos. 2002;9 Suppl:209-232. Abstract: This analysis of the forms of social protection available in Argentina during 1935-48 pays special attention to the distinguishing aspects of infant mortality and birth rates in urbanized areas along the country's coastline. Different government public health institutions -- such as pediatric and maternity institutes -- undertook assistance work among single mothers, where moral teachings played an important role and where marriage was encouraged for its regulatory role in avoiding high rates of illegitimacy. In this task, physicians, visiting nurses, and social assistants from government institutions agreed with the church hierarchy and Catholic intellectuals, since both sectors considered matrimonial legitimacy vital to limiting a decline in the national birthrate. (excerpt) Language: Spanish Keywords: ARGENTINA | RESEARCH REPORT | PERIOD ANALYSIS | INFANT | URBAN POPULATION | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | SOCIAL PROTECTION | INFANT MORTALITY | BIRTH RATE | CULTURE | MARRIAGE | PROMOTION | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | Developing Countries | South America, Southern | South America | Latin America | Americas | Research Methodology | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Fertility Measurements | Fertility | Nuptiality | Marketing | Economic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration Document Number: 195003 |
| 22. Peer Reviewed Title: Marriage among unwed mothers: Whites, Blacks and Hispanics compared. Author: Graefe DR; Lichter DT Source: Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2002 Nov-Dec;34(6):286-293. Abstract: CONTEXT: Much of the debate over welfare reauthorization centers on whether marriage promotion should play a key role. Few studies, however, have tracked the marriage and divorce histories of unwed mothers, including minority women, who are often the main targets of welfare reform. METHODS: Data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth were used to estimate the hazards of the transition to marriage for women who delayed childbearing until marriage and for teenagers and older women who had a nonmarital first birth, and of the transition to divorce among the ever-married. Life-table estimates calculated with these estimated transition hazards show the cumulative proportions married and divorced, by race and ethnicity, for women who had a nonmarital first birth and for those who did not. RESULTS: Nonmarital childbearing reduces the likelihood of marriage. Some 82% of white women, 62% of Hispanics and 59% of blacks who had a nonmarital first birth had married by age 40; the corresponding proportions among those who avoided nonmarital childbearing were 89%, 93% and 76%, respectively. There is no evidence to suggest that the negative effect of nonmarital childbearing on marriage is caused by other observed or unobserved differences between unwed mothers and women who remain childless until marriage. Nonmarital childbearing raises the likelihood of divorce among unwed mothers who eventually marry, a finding that also varies by race and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Marriage promotion policies should focus on lowering rates of nonmarital childbearing. Reductions in nonmarital childbearing, however, may not eliminate long-standing discrepancies in marriage rates between black and white women. (author’s) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | RESEARCH REPORT | COMPARATIVE STUDIES | LIFE TABLE METHOD | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | ADULTS | WOMEN | WHITES | BLACKS | HISPANICS | MARRIAGE | MARITAL STATUS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Studies | Research Methodology | Demographic Analysis | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Ethnic Groups | Cultural Background | Nuptiality Document Number: 173898 |
| 23. Peer Reviewed Title: Planned and unplanned childbearing among unmarried women. Author: Musick K Source: Journal of Marriage and the Family. 2002 Nov;64(4):915-929. Abstract: This paper uses data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth to examine social demographic, and economic correlates of planned and unplanned childbearing among unmarried women. I look at who has births outside of marriage, who plans births outside of marriage, and how childbearing patterns vary for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. I find that low education increases the likelihood of planned and unplanned childbearing outside of marriage for all race and ethnic groups. The same holds for cohabitation, although effects on planned births are notably stronger for Hispanics than others. Finally, spending time in a single-parent family as a child increases planned and unplanned childbearing among White women, with modest or no effects among Blacks or Hispanics. Results suggest ways in which the meaning of childbearing depends on the context in which it occurs. (author's) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | SURVEYS | INTERVIEWS | MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS | HISPANICS | BLACKS | WHITES | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PREGNANCY, PLANNED | PREGNANCY, UNPLANNED | SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS | EDUCATION | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Sampling Studies | Studies | Research Methodology | Data Collection | Data Analysis | Ethnic Groups | Cultural Background | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Economic Factors Document Number: 174161 |
| 24. Title: Summary of “Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2000,” introduced by Rep. Herger (H.R. 4090 substitute amendment). Provisions on family formation, marriage, out-of-wedlock births, and fathers. Author: Turetsky V Source: Washington, D.C., Center For Law and Social Policy [CLASP], 2002 Apr 17. 4 p. Abstract: The bill would amend TANF purposes: Sec. 101 would insert the phrase “healthy, 2-parent married families, and encourage responsible fatherhood” into the fourth purpose of the TANF program. Currently, the fourth purpose allows states to spend TANF funds to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. The bill would change TANF MOE requirements: Sec. 103 would permit total spending under all state programs under the third and fourth TANF purposes to count as “qualified state expenditures” toward state maintenance of effort requirements. The change would allow states to count spending on non-needy families under the third and fourth purposes. Currently, only spending on needy families counts toward MOE requirements. (The third purpose is to prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies, while the fourth purpose is described above.) (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | UNMARRIED FATHERS | SOCIAL WELFARE | LAWS AND STATUTES | GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS | SOCIAL POLICY | MARRIAGE | RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD | CAMPAIGNS | PUBLIC ASSISTANCE | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Fathers | Economic Factors | Programs | Organization and Administration | Policy | Nuptiality | Communication Programs | Communication | Government Financing | Financial Activities Document Number: 276748 |
| 25. Peer Reviewed Title: Low birthweight babies: socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics of adolescent mothers at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Author: Wasunna A; Mohammed K Source: East African Medical Journal. 2002 Oct;79(10):543-546. Abstract: Objective: To compare some socio-demographic and obstetric factors between adolescent mothers (aged below 20 years) and older mothers of low birthweight (birthweight < 2000gm) babies. Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Setting: The Newborn Unit of the Kenyatta National Hospital. Results: Sixty-nine adolescent mothers and 73 older mothers were studied. Adolescent mothers were more likely to be unmarried (p = 0.0001) have less formal education (p<0.0001) be unemployed and be primigravida (76.5% compared to 36% of older mothers). Although the obstetric factors of antenatal clinic attendance, premature rupture of the membranes, pre-eclamptic toxaemia, infections and interventronal delivery tended to be more frequent among the adolescent mothers, non of these differences were significant probably due to the small numbers of patients studied. Conclusion: This study does suggest mothers of very low birthweight babies tend to have unfavourable socio-demographic and obstetric factors like being single parents having less formal education, being unemployed and having obstetric risks for poor pregnancy outcome. (author's) Language: English Keywords: KENYA | RESEARCH REPORT | CROSS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS | INFANT | ADOLESCENTS, FEMALE | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | LOW BIRTH WEIGHT | INFANT HEALTH | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS | RISK FACTORS | RISK ASSESSMENT | EDUCATIONAL STATUS | EMPLOYMENT STATUS | PREMATURE LABOR | PREECLAMPSIA | TOXEMIA | FIRST BIRTH | MATERNAL AGE | CHILDBIRTH | MATERNAL HEALTH | PREGNANCY OUTCOMES | PREMATURE BIRTH | Developing Countries | Africa, Eastern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Research Methodology | Youth | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Population | Adolescents | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Birth Weight | Body Weight | Physiology | Biology | Child Health | Health | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Evaluation | Socioeconomic Status | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Pregnancy | Reproduction | Pregnancy Complications | Diseases | Hematological Effects | Hemic System | Pregnancy History | Fertility Measurements | Parental Age Document Number: 185520 |
| 26. Title: Teen births down in the United States. Source: POPULATION TODAY. 2001 May-Jun;29(4):7. Abstract: The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported recently that the birth rate for US teenagers 15-19 years old declined 3% in 1999, continuing an 8-year downward trend and reaching a record low. The rate for 1999, the latest year for which data are available, was 49.6 births per 1000 teenage women. In contrast, the birth rate for unmarried women increased slightly, to 44.4 births per 1000 unmarried women ages 15-44. This rate means that one-third of births in the US were to unmarried women. (full text) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | BIRTH RATE | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Reproductive Behavior | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population | Fertility Measurements | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household Document Number: 158005 |
| 27. Title: Single mothers still a small fraction of the U.S. labor force. Author: Population Reference Bureau [PRB] Source: Washington, D.C., Population Reference Bureau [PRB], 2001 Feb. [3] p. Abstract: The proportion of children born to unmarried mothers has increased steadily since the early 1960s, leveling off in the last few years at just below a third of all births. Over the same period, more mothers with young children, including many single mothers, have joined the labor force. Despite these two trends, there has not been a big increase in the percentage of workers who are single parents of young children. The percentage of women in the labor force who are single parents of children under age 18 has increased slowly, from 4 percent in 1970 to 8 percent in 2000. (Just under 3 percent were single parents of a child less than 6 years old.) Several factors account for this slow growth. One is the overall decline in fertility, from 88 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 1970 to 66 births per 1,000 women in 1999. Fewer women, whether married or not, have young children than in past decades. Also, because labor force participation has grown for women at all ages, the denominator (women in the labor force with minor children) has grown almost as rapidly as the numerator (unmarried women in the labor force with minor children). So the fraction has grown slowly, even while the absolute number of single mothers working has increased. (excerpt) Language: English Keywords: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | CRITIQUE | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | LABOR FORCE | FERTILITY DECLINE | ECONOMIC FACTORS | Developed Countries | North America | Americas | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Human Resources | Fertility Changes | Fertility | Population Dynamics | Demographic Factors | Population Document Number: 275347 |
| 28. Title: [Childbirth of unmarried mothers at the Souissi maternity hospital, Rabat, and outcome of the newborns] L'accouchement des meres celibataires a la maternite Souissi de Rabat et le devenir des nouveaux-nes. Author: Bouihouline F; Ebadaoui L; Hassini W Source: Rabat, Morocco, Institut de Formation aux Carrieres de Sante, 2001. [12], 44, [8] p. Dissertation, Institut de Formation aux Carrieres de Sante, 2001. Abstract: Findings are reported from a study of labor and child delivery among 124 unmarried mothers at Souissi Maternity, Rabat. Study results are based upon the retrospective study of delivery, partogram, and postpartum documentation during January to June 2000, as well as interviews with social workers charged with case follow-up. Some study subjects presented false identification, residence and contact information, and claimed to be married. Most of the unmarried mothers are under 25 years old, primiparous, of urban origin, without prior history, and with unmonitored pregnancy. Most cases presented for medical care only after the onset of labor, 72.58% of women experienced labor for 1-10 hours, blood pressure and pulse were taken for only 2 women, and natural delivery occurred in 92.74% of cases. Only 1 woman experienced a delivery-related complication, consisting of perineal tearing following child delivery in the street. No woman died due to pregnancy- or delivery-related factors and 127 of the 128 infants born were live-births. Most infants were born at term with Apgar score higher than 7 and body weight 2500-4000 g. 4 infants were hospitalized and 25 abandoned in hospital; 7 of these latter infants perished. Abandoned girls were more readily adopted than boys. French Abstract: Ce mémoire de l'IFCS (Institut de Formation aux Carrières de Santé) aborde une étude qui s'intéresse à l'accouchement des mères célibataires à la maternité Souissi de Rabat au Maroc, elle s'intéresse également au devenir de leurs enfants. Partant du fait que le problème de la mère célibataire touche la société marocaine avec acuité et qu'il en pleine recrudescence et rarement évoqué, l'étude détermine le but d'étudier le travail et l'accouchement des mères célibataires tout en évaluant leur pronostic et celui de leurs enfants. Les objectifs à atteindre consistent à étudier les conditions obstétricales d'admission, apprécier la qualité de la surveillance du travail et de l'accouchement des mères et préciser le devenir des nouveau-nés. Cette étude rétrospective porte sur 124 cas au choix exhaustif et couvre une période des 6 premiers mois de l'année 2000, elle adopte une méthodologie s'appuyant sur l'exploitation des dossiers accouchement, partogramme et post partum, l'élaboration d'une fiche d'exploitation incluant différents paramètres. Les résultats constatés d'après l'étude révèlent que certaines parturientes cachent leur identité et l'adresse est toujours incomplète, pour la majorité, elles sont des femmes jeunes âgées de moins de 25 ans, primipares, d'origine urbaine, sans antécédents et leur grossesse est non suivie. 63,71% des parturientes sont admises avec des membranes intactes et parmi les 124 cas, quatre grossesses gémellaires ne sont diagnostiquées qu'à posteriori lors de l'accouchement. La durée de travail n'est pas évaluée avec précision vu que le début réel est ignoré, elle est calculée depuis l'heure de l'admission jusqu'à l'accouchement et elle est comprise entre une heure et 10 heures pour 72,8% des cas. Trois accouchements ont été réalisés avant l'admission à l'enceinte de la maternité. Concernant les nouveau-nés, la majorité sont à terme, 4 enfants ont été hospitalisés, 25 sont abandonnés et sont admis dans des centres d'assistance sociale, 7 abandonnés et décédés au centre de puériculture et un enfant au service de réanimation d'ou un taux de mortalité des enfants abandonnés très élevé. Les enfants abandonnés bénéficient d'une bonne prise en charge à l'entrée et durant leur séjour. Les filles sont adoptées facilement que les garçons. Des suggestions sont émises et concernent particulièrement la prévention des grossesses illégitimes, la promotion de la planification familiale et la prise en charge des mères célibataires au niveau des cellules de la santé maternelle et infantile comme toute femme enceinte mariée. Language: French Keywords: MOROCCO | RESEARCH REPORT | URBAN POPULATION | CHILDBIRTH | HOSPITALS | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | INFANT MORTALITY | ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN | Developing Countries | Africa, Northern | Africa | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Pregnancy Outcomes | Pregnancy | Reproduction | Health Facilities | Delivery of Health Care | Health | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Youth | Age Factors Document Number: 163091 |
| 29. Title: Life histories, reproductive histories: Rural South African women's narratives of fertility, reproductive health and illness. Author: Harrison A; Montgomery E Source: Journal of Southern African Studies. 2001 Jun;27(2):311-328. Abstract: Reproductive health has become a priority public health concern in recent years, although less attention has been paid to women's own reproductive health priorities. Qualitative research in this area is important in elucidating an understanding of women's roles in both social and biological reproduction, and in gaining access to women's perceptions of their own reproductive health. In this study, we examined rural Zulu women's perspectives on reproductive health and fertility as part of their life histories, and assessed knowledge of reproductive health and related practices. Findings indicate that, in spite of recent declines in fertility in South Africa, child bearing remains the principal form of self-expression among older Zulu women, with fertility a necessary step toward achieving social status as a woman. This status, however, does not confer autonomy or power on women, but rather serves as a means of meeting social expectations. (author's) Language: English Keywords: SOUTH AFRICA | RESEARCH REPORT | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH | INTERVIEWS | COMMUNITY SURVEYS | KAP SURVEYS | ADULTS | WOMEN | RURAL POPULATION | UNMARRIED MOTHERS | PREGNANCY HISTORY | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH | FERTILITY | WOMEN'S STATUS | CULTURE | BELIEFS | FEMALE ROLE | MARRIAGE | ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY | SEXUALITY | CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS | Africa, Southern | Africa, Sub Saharan | Africa | Developing Countries | Research Methodology | Data Collection | Surveys | Sampling Studies | Studies | Age Factors | Population Characteristics | Demographic Factors | Population | Mothers | Parents | Family Relationships | Family Characteristics | Family and Household | Fertility Measurements | Population Dynamics | Health | Socioeconomic Factors | Economic Factors | Social Behavior | Behavior | Nuptiality | Reproductive Behavior | Personality | Psychological Factors | Contraception | Family Planning Document Number: 181448 |