Young Maternal Age at first birth and Child Undernutrition in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2017-18

Background Childhood undernutrition is a serious public health issue that includes stunting, wasting, and underweight. In Bangladesh, many adolescent girls become mothers early. Giving birth at a young age is common, adversely affecting maternal health and child undernutrition. This study investigated the association between maternal age at first birth and undernutrition of under-five children in Bangladesh. Methods The study is cross-sectional and data was collected from BDHS 2017–18 survey. Mothers who were pregnant at the age of ≤ 19 years were regarded as young mothers and aged >19 years were regarded as adult mothers. Children were categorized as stunting (height for age), wasting (weight for height), and underweight (weight for age) based on the z-scores -2 as per WHO median growth guidelines. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to assess the association. Results This study revealed that 71.5% of mothers had their first child before 19 years old. The undernutrition status of the children of younger mothers and the children of adult mothers differed significantly, stunted (p<0.001), wasted (p<0.001), and underweight (p<0.001)). Children of mothers aged under 19 years at their 1st childbirth were 1.4 times more likely to be stunted [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.4, 95% CI: 1.02-2.46; p=0.008], 1.6 times more likely to be wasted (AOR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.09-1.78; p=0.039), 1.5 times more likely to be underweight (AOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.15-2.07; p=0.004) compared to children of mothers who are adults. Conclusion This research will draw attention to the policymakers taking the necessary initiatives focus on the maternal age at the time of first birth, which will help reduce all forms of undernutrition in under-five children.