Variables from the Information System on Live Births (SINASC) were geocoded for municipalities from Greater Metropolitan Maringá, Paraná State, Brazil, for 19 population expansion areas (PEA). Thematic maps and the Moran I statistic and local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) were used to evaluate autocorrelation between teenage motherhood, low schooling, black/brown race/color, insufficient number of prenatal visits, cesarean delivery, prematurity, low birth weight, and 5-minute Apgar less than 8. Low schooling, black/brown race/color, and 5-minute Apgar < 8 were concentrated in the peripheral PEA, with significant autocorrelation (Moran I: 0.50; 0.67; and 0.63, respectively), while high cesarean rates were concentrated in the central PEA (Moran I = 0.59), where "low-low" patterns were observed, with black or brown teenage mothers with low schooling. High-risk clusters were identified in the peripheral PEA of Greater Metropolitan Maringá, showing that PEA is a feasible methodological alternative, together with the SINASC, for monitoring socio-spatial inequalities in maternal and child health.
Live Birth; Information Systems; Health Inequalities; Spatial Distribution
