Do foreign- and U.S.-born mothers across racial/ethnic groups have a similar risk profile for selected sociodemographic and periconceptional factors?

✍ Scribed by Tunu A. Ramadhani; Mark A. Canfield; Noha H. Farag; Marjorie Royle; Adolfo Correa; D. Kim Waller; Angela Scheuerle; the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 101 KB
• Volume: 91
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1542-0752
• DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20839

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND: We examined differences in selected pregnancy-related risk factors, including maternal sociodemographic characteristics, health-related conditions, and periconceptional behavioral factors, among foreign-born versus U.S.-born control mothers across race/ethnic groups. METHODS: We used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, and calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the risk factors, for foreign-born Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Asian/Pacific Islander (API) mothers, compared to their U.S.-born counterparts. RESULTS: Across all race/ethnic groups, foreign-born mothers were older and had lower odds of obesity compared to their U.S.-born counterparts. With the exception of foreign-born black mothers, foreign-born mothers from other race/ethnic groups had significantly lower odds of binge drinking during the periconceptional period. Compared to U.S.-born, foreign-born Hispanic mothers had twice the odds of gestational diabetes (OR 5 2.23; 95% CI 5 1.36-3.66). Certain health behaviors were less prevalent in foreign-born black mothers (e.g., folic acid use; OR 5 0.54; 95% CI 5 0.31-0.96) and foreign-born API mothers (e.g., cigarette smoking; OR 5 0.10; 95% CI 5 0.02-0.48). CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in pregnancy related risk factors during the periconceptional period and throughout pregnancy were observed between maternal nativity groups and across race/ ethnicity. Prevention efforts for both prepregnancy and after conception should be designed and delivered according to maternal nativity for each racial/ethnic group. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 91:823-830, 2011.