Gardner Hazel, Green Katherine, Gardner Andrew S, Geddes Donna
School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
School of Education, Capella University, 225 South 6th St, Minneapolis, MN, 55402, USA.
BMC Pediatr. 2018 Feb 7;18(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s12887-018-1016-z.
Rapid economic and cultural transition in the United Arab Emirates has been accompanied by a rise in chronic disease. Early childhood is known to affect health outcomes in adulthood. This prospective longitudinal study examined the general health of Emirati infants born in a government maternity hospital in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in October 2002.
One hundred twenty-five women, who had recently given birth, were interviewed as part of a larger study encompassing a wide range of cultural, social, and behavioural aspects of health. They were then re-interviewed at three (n = 94), six (n = 59) and 15 months postpartum (n = 52). Data are presented using univariate statistics.
In this study seven infants (6%) were born prematurely and four infants (3%) were classified as small for gestational age, while 11 (9%) of the infants weighed less than 2500 g. Low birth weight infants (LBW) were significantly more likely to require treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit (OR = 30.83, p = 0.00). Iron supplementation during pregnancy was associated with fewer underweight infants (OR = 3.92, p = 0.042). No associations were found between infant birth weight and maternal age, age at marriage, consanguinity, education level, current maternal employment, parity, pre-existing anaemia or anaemia in pregnancy, diabetes, folic acid intake, multivitamin intake or infant gender. Maternally-reported infant health issues, vaccination, medication, breast-feeding and infant nutrition, and use of secure car seats are also reported.
The health of infants at birth in this UAE sample showed improvements compared to previous studies. The proportion of LBW infants is decreasing and continuing improvements in health care in the UAE are having a positive impact on infant health.
阿拉伯联合酋长国快速的经济和文化转型伴随着慢性病的增加。众所周知，幼儿期会影响成年后的健康状况。这项前瞻性纵向研究调查了2002年10月在阿布扎比酋长国一家政府妇产医院出生的阿联酋婴儿的总体健康状况。
作为一项涵盖健康方面广泛文化、社会和行为因素的更大规模研究的一部分，对125名刚分娩的妇女进行了访谈。然后在产后3个月（n = 94）、6个月（n = 59）和15个月（n = 52）时对她们进行再次访谈。数据采用单变量统计呈现。
在本研究中，7名婴儿（6%）早产，4名婴儿（3%）被归类为小于胎龄儿，而11名（9%）婴儿体重低于2500克。低出生体重婴儿（LBW）在新生儿重症监护病房接受治疗的可能性显著更高（OR = 30.83，p = 0.00）。孕期补充铁剂与体重不足婴儿较少有关（OR = 3.92，p = 0.042）。未发现婴儿出生体重与母亲年龄、结婚年龄、近亲结婚、教育水平、当前母亲就业情况、产次、孕前贫血或孕期贫血、糖尿病、叶酸摄入量、复合维生素摄入量或婴儿性别之间存在关联。还报告了母亲报告的婴儿健康问题、疫苗接种、用药、母乳喂养和婴儿营养情况，以及安全汽车座椅的使用情况。
与之前的研究相比，该阿联酋样本中婴儿出生时的健康状况有所改善。低出生体重婴儿的比例正在下降，阿联酋医疗保健的持续改善对婴儿健康产生了积极影响。
