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The Effects of Maternal Age on Neonatal and Post-neonatal Mortality in India: Roles of Socioeconomic and Biodemographic Factors

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Abstract

Maternal age is one of the strongest predictors of infant mortality. Despite the relatively high prevalence of childbearing at younger and advanced ages and high infant mortality rates in India, systematic studies on the relationship between these variables are lacking. This study fills this gap by analyzing the data obtained from 2015-16 India’s National Family Health Survey. The analysis is based on a sample of 230,475 children born in the 5 years preceding the survey. We find that, generally, there is a mild U-shaped relationship between maternal age and mortality risk in the first year of life, with children born to mothers in their teens and late 30s and beyond being most at risk and those born to mothers aged 25–29 being least at risk. In addition, we find that socioeconomic, biodemographic, and other health-related factors account for some, but not all, maternal-age effects on mortality, suggesting that maternal age is an independent risk factor for both neonatal and post-neonatal mortality. While biodemographic and other health-related factors play important roles in explaining why children born to mothers at both ends of the reproductive-age spectrum are at significantly increased risks, the effects of socioeconomic factors are relatively modest, and that is the case among children born to mothers at advanced ages only. The results underscore the importance of maternal and child health care policies, which can help teenage mothers postpone having children until their late 20s, not have a child shortly after the preceding birth, and continuously monitor the health conditions of low-birthweight children.

Résumé

L'âge maternel est l'un des prédicteurs les plus importants de la mortalité infantile. Malgré la prévalence relativement élevée de la maternité aux jeunes âges et aux âges avancés et des taux de mortalité infantile élevés en Inde, il n'y pas des études systématiques sur la relation entre ces variables. Cette étude comble cette lacune en analysant les données obtenues de l’enquête nationale sur la santé de la famille en Inde de 2015-2016. L'analyse est basée sur un échantillon de 230 475 enfants nés dans les 5 années précédant l'enquête. Nous constatons qu'en général, il existe une légère relation en forme de U entre l'âge maternel et le risque de mortalité au cours de la première année de vie, les enfants nés de mères adolescentes et à la fin de la trentaineet au-delà étant les plus vulnérables à risque et ceux nés à les mères âgées de 25 à 29 ans étant les moins à risque. En outre, nous constatons que les facteurs socioéconomiques, biodémographiques et les autres facteurs liés à la santé expliquent certains effets de l'âge maternel sur la mortalité, mais pas tous, ce qui suggère que l'âge maternel est un facteur de risque indépendant de mortalité néonatale et post-néonatale. Alors que les facteurs biodémographiques et autres facteurs liés à la santé jouent un rôle important dans l'explication des raisons pour lesquelles les enfants nés de mères aux deux extrémités de l'éventail de l'âge de la procréation sont exposés à des risques considérablement accrus, les effets des facteurs socio-économiquessont relativement modestes, et c'est également le cas chez les enfants. nés de mères à un âge avancé seulement. Les résultats soulignent l'importance des politiques de santé maternelle et infantile, qui peuvent aider les mères adolescentes à différer leurs projets de maternité jusqu'à la fin de la vingtaine, à ne pas avoir des naissances trop rapprochées et à surveiller l'état de santé des enfants de faible poids à la naissance.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Anshumala Ram, R. D. Sharma, and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments on an earlier draft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Shefali S. Ram

  2. Western University, London, ON, Canada

    Bali Ram

  3. Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Bali Ram

  4. ABT Associates, New Delhi, India

    Awdhesh Yadav

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Ram, S.S., Ram, B. & Yadav, A. The Effects of Maternal Age on Neonatal and Post-neonatal Mortality in India: Roles of Socioeconomic and Biodemographic Factors. Can. Stud. Popul. 48, 59–89 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42650-021-00041-3

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