Unintended childbearing and family welfare in rural Malawi

In Malawi, women on average bear about 6 children. Between one quarter and a third of these children are unwanted or occur sooner than desired and could thus be prevented by greater uptake of effective contraception.The key aim of this research is to assess the impact of unwanted births on family welfare. Family welfare is represented by the physical growth of children and by retention in school. In a very poor country such as Malawi, the adverse effect on family economics of an extra mouth to feed and child to rear is likely to be expressed by inadequate nutrition of children leading to slower growth and school drop-out of teenage children.The study will seek to understand what extent greater contraceptive use and smaller family sizes will enhance investment in human capital and economic growth or what are the consequences of unwanted or unintended childbearing on children's life chances.This research will inform the debate by conducting a study linked to an on-going Demographic Surveillance Site (DSS) in Karonga District in Northern Malawi.