Association between pregnancy planning or intention and early child development: A systematic scoping review

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002636
• Publication Date: 2023-12-05T18:23:18Z
• Authors: Jorge Andrés Delg...; Magdalena Janus
• Keywords: Unintended Pregnancy; Child Development

The Sustainable Development Goals have a specific target to "ensure that all girls and boys access quality early childhood development" by 2030. There is sparse literature regarding the impact of pregnancy intention (wantedness timing) or planning on child development. We aimed summarize evidence measuring association between unintended unplanned development for children aged 3 5. included studies compared developmental outcomes from unwanted, unplanned, mistimed pregnancies those wanted planned pregnancies. In April 2022, we searched Ovid MEDLINE (from 1946), EMBASE 1974), SCOPUS inception) without language restrictions. One reviewer tabulated data country year study, population, sample sampling method, age participants, exposure, date exposure retrieval, outcome(s), assessment (direct through third parties), statistical methods (including covariate selection methods), effect estimates into bespoken tables. Our scoping review identified 12 published reporting 8 "cohorts" (range: 1963-2016) with information approximately 39,000 born mostly in developed countries. Overall, unwanted/unplanned seemed be associated poorer when wanted/planned Mistimed delayed correlated weaker effects same direction. concluded achieving SDG 4, related development, might entail policies create environments supportive conception safe abortion.