Socio-economic variables and pregnancy outcome. Birthweight in singletons.

The effect of various social indicators on birthweight in singletons was studied in Sweden with the use of a medical birth registry to which census information was linked. Two years were studied: 1976 births linked to the 1975 census, and 1981 births linked to the 1980 census. The strongest social indicator affecting birthweight was family situation: whether the woman cohabited or not. After standardization for this variable, effects were still seen for occupation and type of housing. They were not secondary to maternal age or parity. By using cohabitation status, enhanced with other social indicators, two groups were selected: one privileged and one underprivileged. Distributions of birthweight and pregnancy duration in the two groups were compared with those formed in women being neither privileged nor under privileged and also working outside the home (because occupation entered the definitions of the two former groups). There were marked differences: underprivileged women had shorter pregnancy duration and, at term, their infants weighed slightly less than those of privileged women. These differences remain after standardization for maternal age and parity.