Original scientific paper
Changes in Total Number of Births and Birth Size during the 1995-2013: The Reflection of Socio-Economic Fluctuations in Lithuania?
Egle Marija Jakimaviciene
; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Janina Tutkuviene
; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Jelena Isakova
; Health information Centre, Institute of Hygiene, Vilnius, Lithuania
Ruta Morkuniene
; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Nijole Drazdiene
; Clinic of Children‘s Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Vytautas Basys
; Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine changes of total number of births and birth weight of Lithuanian newborns during
the 1995–2013 in relation to the national and regional socio-economic welfare and governmental maternity support.
The present results were based on Lithuanian Medical Data of Births Register. Only data of single newborns of identifiable
sex, whose mothers were citizens of Lithuania, were included into the present analysis, and total number of analysed
cases was N=597091. The total number of births dramatically decreased during the 1995-2002, slightly increased in the
2007-2009, and decreased again in the 2010-2013. Diminishing index was in line with increase of unemployment rate and
decline of total Lithuanian population. Increase in number of births was estimated only in the 2007-2009, when maternity
benefits were increased very evidently. The significant differences of mean birth weight by year were observed: the
decrease in boys’ weight was detected in the 2001-2003, and the decrease in girls’ weight was detected in the 1995-1996
and in the 2001-2003 (p<0.05). However, the increase in weight of both sexes was observed in the 2008-2010 (right after
raised maternal allowance). The prevalence of low and suboptimal birth weight was the highest in the 2002 and the lowest
– in the 2008-2010 years. The obvious regional differences in changes of total number of births and birth weight were
estimated.
Keywords
total number of births; birth weight; socio-economic indicators; Lithuania
Hrčak ID:
200336
URI
Publication date:
2.7.2017.
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