Motherhood and infant health in Khartoum.

ABSTRACT

The results of an analysis of the growth and illness experience of a group of infants in Khartoum townships illustrate the remarkable benefits of being the infant of a "housewife" rather than the infant of a mother who works. These benefits occurred despite the poorer domestic environments of the housewives.

ABSTRACT

PIP Path analysis of growth and illness experiences among study infants reveals that housewives' infants have substantially less illness and better first year increases in weight and length than infants of working mothers in a poor township in Khartoum, Sudan. The analysis is based on a sample of 120 mother-infant pairs and information on monthly illness experiences in two week periods throughout the first year of life. The sample includes 36 housewives and 84 working mothers. The mean illness duration is reported to be an increase to 4 days per month at 7 months for infants of working mothers. Illness duration thereafter remains at over 3 days per month. Differences in weaning time are statistically significant. Infants are weaned between 156.8 +or- 61.5 days for infants of housewives compared to 133.34 +or- 69.7 days for infants of working mothers. Few differences in body weight and supine length occur during the early growth period. After 6 months, growth curves diverge, such that by 12 months there is a statistically significant difference of 2.1 kg between infants. Infants of working mothers are initially longer, converge with housewives' infants by 5-6 months, and are shorter by 12 months by 3.8 cm. Weight and length, except length at 11-12 months, varies less at all ages among infants of housewives. Initial differences in length are attributed to gestation age. The evidence is considered supportive of a health advantage among infants of housewives. The study would be improved with knowledge about the health of mothers. Information on maternal income indicates that housewives have less income. The path analysis finds the "housewife" effect on infant health independent of income. Housewives are found to have more adverse living conditions (poorer housing, sanitation, hygiene, and water supply). The evidence suggests the importance of maternal behavior.