Epidemiological profile of perinatal health among indigenous pregnant people in the Wayamu territory, Brazil.

Abstract

Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of prenatal care, childbirth, and live births among Indigenous women in the Wayamu Territory, located in the municipality of Oriximiná, Pará, Brazil, from 2013 to 2022.

Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective, and quantitative study based on secondary data from the Live Birth Information System (SINASC), accessed via DATASUS. A total of 713 live births were analyzed. The study included the following variables: maternal age, type of delivery, number of prenatal consultations, place of birth, birth weight, Apgar score at 1 and 5 min, and newborn sex. Low birth weight was defined as < 2,500 g. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, and t-tests, with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: Most births were vaginal (81.35%), and the majority of mothers were aged 20-29 years (46.84%), followed by adolescents aged 10-19 years (24.96%). A total of 96.77% of Indigenous women attended at least one prenatal consultation, and 39.55% completed seven or more. Low birth weight was observed in 8.84% of newborns. A significant positive correlation was found between the number of prenatal consultations and birth weight (r = 0.789, p = 0.006). A Chi-square test showed that adolescent mothers were proportionally more represented than adult women aged 20-29 years (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The maternal and neonatal outcomes observed among Indigenous women in the Wayamu Territory are similar to national patterns but reveal persistent challenges, including adolescent pregnancy, low prenatal consultation rates, and increasing medicalization of childbirth. These findings highlight the need for expanded public policies focused on culturally sensitive and equitable maternal and child healthcare for Indigenous populations in Brazil.