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Pregnancy Intentions, Race and Ethnicity, and Infant Outcomes: A Research Note
1Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin‒Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Demography
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Pregnancy intention impacts infant health differently across racial groups. Sociodemographic factors significantly alter outcomes for White mothers, but not for Black or Hispanic mothers, highlighting disparities in maternal and infant health.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Maternal-Child Health
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Commonly held belief: unintended pregnancies lead to poorer infant health outcomes.
- Existing research often overlooks racial and ethnic variations in this association.
- Sociodemographic factors may mediate the relationship between pregnancy intention and infant health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between pregnancy intention and infant health outcomes across different racial and ethnic groups.
- To investigate the role of sociodemographic variables in modifying these associations.
- To inform public health messaging regarding pregnancy intention and infant well-being.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of survey data linking maternal reports of pregnancy intention to infant health indicators.
- Stratified analyses by race and ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic).
- Regression models adjusted for key sociodemographic variables.
Main Results:
- The association between unintended pregnancy and adverse infant outcomes is strongest among White mothers.
- This association is weak or non-significant among Black and Hispanic mothers.
- Adjusting for sociodemographic factors significantly alters the association for White mothers but not for other groups, indicating heterogeneous relationships.
Conclusions:
- The impact of pregnancy intention on infant health outcomes is not uniform across racial and ethnic groups.
- Public health strategies should move beyond generic messages about unintended pregnancies.
- Addressing specific barriers to maternal autonomy may be more effective in improving infant health outcomes than a broad focus on pregnancy intention.
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