Maternal and Paternal Risk Factors and Birth Outcomes among Asian and Pacific Islanders in Illinois

PURPOSE. The pupose of this study was to compare maternal and paternal risk factors and the outcomes of Asian Pacific Islander (API) pregnancies with other racial/ethnic groups (Black, Hispanic, and White) in Illinois. METHODS. We examined computerized birth certificate files in Illinois to descriptively analyze birth outcomes and parental characteristics for births occurring between 1989 and 1993. Infant mortality tables were examined for birth cohorts born from 1989 to 1992. Rates among Illinois API groups were presented for the following: maternal and paternal socio-demographic factors; maternal medical risk factors, amount of prenatal care and type of method of delivery; newborn complications and various morbidity outcomes; and, early neonatal mortality. For comparison, simliar Illinois data are presented for Blacks and Whites and Hispanics. We statistically evaluated the significance in variability of rates. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. APIs in Illinois experienced a lower infant mortality rate. API mothers were more likely to be married, beyond the teenage years, have more education and smoke less often during their pregnancy than any of the other racial/ethnic groups. In addition, API mothers were more likely to experience primiparity rather than high parity. We detected statistically signifacnt differences for maternal and paternal socio-demographic characteristics among the four populations (p<0.0001). Similarly we found statistically significant differences in risk factors during pregnancy and labor and delivery complications among four race/ethnic population (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS. Fetal, neonatal, post-natal and infant mortality rates were the lowest among APIs when compared to Hispanic, Black and White neonates. These differences were statistically signifacant. However, rates of inadequate prenatal care, labor and elivery complications, prematurity and low birth weight were not similarly lower among APIs. RELEVANCE TO ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN POPULATIONS. This paper provides a state-level examination of parental risk factors and birth outcomes among APIs. KEY WORDS. infant mortality rates; pregnancy outcomes; prenatal care; maternal risk factors; paternal risk factors; women; Illinois.