Birth weight and other infant outcomes, pregnancy complications and maternal nutrition status among white, black and Southeast Asian mothers
Author(s):
Swenson I; Erickson D; Ehlinger E; Carlson G; Swaney S
Format:
Book
Publisher:
1985.
Language:
English
Abstract:
This study examined differences in infant birthweight, Apgar scores, gestational age at birth, maternal nutritional status, pregnancy risks (tobacco and alcohol use), and pregnancy complications among 573 whites, 183 blacks, 350 Hmong, and 107 other Southeast Asian refugees who attended a maternal-infant care program in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1980-82. Southeast Asian women had larger families, fewer years of education, and were more likely to be married than white and black women. Family income/family member was lowest for Hmong and highest for whites. Southeast Asian infants had lower birthweights than white and black infants, but there were no significant differences in the percent of infants under 2500 grams, Apgar scores, or the gestational age of infants at delivery. These similarities in infant outcome occurred despite the fact that Southeast Asian women (especially Hmong) began prenatal care later than other mothers and had lower hematocrits and weight gain during pregnancy. 2% of the Asian mothers, compared with 21.8% of white and 10.4% of black mothers, reported alcohol use during pregnancy; smoking during pregnancy was reported by 2% of Hmong and other Asian mothers, 59% of white mothers, and 28% of black mothers. The proportion of low birthweight infants was higher among white and black women with these risk factors. The only significant differences between racial groups in delivery complications involved premature rupture of membranes and dystocias, both of which were more prevalent among white and black women than Asian women. Gestational age of the infant at birth had a significant positive relationship with infant birthweight in all racial groups. Neither maternal weight-height status nor maternal weight gain was a predictor of birthweight. Overall, maternal variables explained 50% of the variance in infant birthweight for whites and blacks but only 14-30% of the variance among Asian women (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)