This is a proposal to study pregnancy loss or miscarriages in a population of previously nomadic, but now settled, Turkana women from the semi-arid savanna of northwest Kenya. Studies of Turkana nomadic herders and their settled counterparts in this region have been conducted by a team of biological and social anthropologists and ecologists for more than a decade. Considerable time-depth information has been accumulated on the relations of these people, their health, their social behavior, and their environment. The current research, dealing with mothers' health and reproduction, has suggested that settled Turkana women have a higher pregnancy rate yet fewer live births than nomadic women. As a result, the settled women are thought to have an unusually high rate of miscarriages. The work to be done in this current study will sample 180 settled Turkana women who will be followed throughout their pregnancies to detect early and later miscarriages. Pregnancies and miscarriages will be determined by hormone analysis of urine samples (pregnancy kits). The results of the research will: (1) contribute to our general knowledge of reproduction, as well as to knowledge of those factors that influence human fertility in a harsh environment with limited resources, and (2) provide information on the effects of settlement of nomads on their fertility.
