Dissertation Research: Impact of Preterm Birth and Child Condition upon Maternal Reproductive Behavior

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This is a Dissertation Improvement project which will examine how child condition plus other factors, including maternal age, sibship composition, maternal marital status and access to resources, influence maternal reproductive decisions. From a biological perspective, how might a mother allocate her limited time, energy and financial resources among the premature child whose outcome is questionable, her other children and/or her next pregnancy? The mother's decisions will impact the timing, outcome and total number of her children over her life course. An estimated 135 mothers who gave birth to surviving, premature, very low birth weight infants 14 to 18 years ago and who have been followed by the investigators from birth will be interviewed by phone or in person. Care will be taken to include mothers in rural areas plus mothers who represent diverse ethnic backgrounds. This unique population provides a rare opportunity to conduct natural experiments to test predictions based upon parental investment and life history theory. This study will contribute to our understanding of the relationships between early maternal decisions and lifetime reproductive outcomes. In addition, this information will provide information which can be employed in health care policy decisions.