Change in paternity and select perinatal outcomes: Causal or confounded?

Abstract

Select social, behavioural and maternal characteristics were evaluated to determine if they were confounding factors in the association between paternity change and pre-eclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA) and pre-term delivery, in a sample of 1,409 women. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine if any of these risk factors modified the association between changing paternity and the selected perinatal outcomes. Results of the analysis showed that women who changed partners were more likely to possess potentially confounding risk factors compared with those who had not. Paternity change was 2.75 times more likely to be associated with the development of pre-eclampsia (95% CI 1.33; 5.68) and 2.25 times more likely to be associated with an SGA infant on weight (95% CI 1.13; 4.47), after adjusting for selected risk factors. Paternity change remains a significant risk factor for pre-eclampsia and SGA in the presence of select risk factors.

Keywords::

• Adverse pregnancy outcomes
• epidemiology
• paternity
• pre-eclampsia

Acknowledgements

The research for this manuscript was completed while Gretchen Bandoli was a student in the M.P.H. program at San Diego State University, San Diego CA. The data were collected by the OTIS and CTIS Collaborative Research Groups. Dr Donald Sylmen of San Diego State University, San Diego CA provided statistical guidance.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.