A New Take on Effects of Intentions.(Brief Article)

An analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth challenges results of earlier research on the effects of pregnancy intention on maternal behavior and on infant health and child development.[1] In cross-sectional analyses, the researchers found that intention status had no effect on birth weight. Women with an unwanted or, to a smaller extent, a mistimed pregnancy were more likely to have delayed prenatal care and smoked heavily than were those who had intended to conceive; they also were less likely to breastfeed. However, in analyses using a more extensive set of controls and in calculations taking into account unmeasured factors, the effects were no longer …