Unintended and unwanted pregnancy in St. Lucia

Among 200 mothers interviewed in St. Lucia, 82 percent described their pregnancy as unintended and 44 percent as unwanted; 80 percent of women having an intended pregnancy and 94.6 percent having an unintended pregnancy were unmarried and 18.5 percent were teenagers. Mothers of unintended pregnancies were significantly younger, were significantly higher parity and had begun sexual relations at a significantly earlier age than mothers of intended pregnancies; and unlike mothers of plannerd pregnancies, their desired interpregnancy interval was significantly longer than the actual interval. These results and the sporadic and ineffective use of contraception in St. Lucia emphasize the need for improvements in fertility regulation in that country (AU)

Unintended and unwanted pregnancy in St. Lucia

Among 200 mothers interviewed in St. Lucia, 82//described their pregnancy as unintended and 44//as unwanted; 80//of women having an intended pregnancy and 94.6//having an unintended pregnancy were unmarried and 18.5//were teenagers. Mothers of unintended pregnancies were significantly younger, were significantly higher parity and had begun sexual relations at a significantly earlier age than mothers of intended pregnancies; and unlike mothers of plannerd pregnancies, their desired interpregnancy interval was significantly longer than the actual interval. These results and the sporadic and ineffective use of contraception in St. Lucia emphasize the need for improvements in fertility regulation in that country

Vitamin E, lipid fractions, and fatty acid composition of colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk: an international comparative study

Triglycerides, cholesterol, fatty acid composition, and tocopherols were determined in colustrum, transitional milk, and mature milk in St. Lucia. With progress of lactation, triglycerides and percentage medium-chain fatty acids increased whereas tocopherols, cholesterol and percentage long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased. These changes reflect augmented de novo synthesis of fatty acids (8:0, 10:0, 12:0, and 14:0) in the mammary gland and a tendency of increasing fat-globule size as milk matures. Transitional and mature milks, but particularly colustrum, contained higher concentrations of components considered to be derived from the fat-globule membrane (cholesterol, tocopherols, percentage long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) compared with those reported for Western countries. Percentage medium-chain fatty acids in mature milk was two to three times higher than in developed countries. Differences from data from studies in Western countries are discussed in relation to analytical methods and possible consequences for lipid digestion, lipid absorption, growth, and brain development.(AU)