Related Experiment Videos
Mexican Americans' intrauterine growth retardation and maternal risk factors
1Department of Family Resources and Human Development, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-2502.
This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites in Arizona. Data were compiled from birth certificates documenting live births in 1986 and 1987. A total of 25,289 Mexican-American and 71,139 white newborns were classified by IUGR. Two methods of IUGR classification were used: the fetal growth ratio (FGR) and the 10th percentile of birthweight by gestational age. A reference growth-distribution data set from the state of California was used to determine IUGR vs non-IUGR newborns. Maternal risk factors were also used to compare IUGR and non-IUGR samples. Overall, Mexican Americans had a lower risk (OR: 0.91) for IUGR than did whites, after controlling for maternal risk factors. Regardless of the IUGR classification method used, more than 88% of IUGR infants were born at term, and more than 60% of IUGR infants had birthweights equal to or greater than 2500 g. Maternal risk factors significantly discriminated between IUGR and non-IUGR infants. Finally, after controlling for maternal risk factors, US-born Mexican mothers were 1.21 times more likely to have an IUGR infant than were Mexico-born mothers. The problem of IUGR and its determinants in Mexican Americans deserves attention in clinical settings.
This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in Mexican Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites in Arizona. Data were compiled from birth certificates documenting live births in 1986 and 1987. A total of 25,289 Mexican-American and 71,139 white newborns were classified by IUGR. Two methods of IUGR classification were used: the fetal growth ratio (FGR) and the 10th percentile of birthweight by gestational age. A reference growth-distribution data set from the state of California was used to determine IUGR vs non-IUGR newborns. Maternal risk factors were also used to compare IUGR and non-IUGR samples. Overall, Mexican Americans had a lower risk (OR: 0.91) for IUGR than did whites, after controlling for maternal risk factors. Regardless of the IUGR classification method used, more than 88% of IUGR infants were born at term, and more than 60% of IUGR infants had birthweights equal to or greater than 2500 g. Maternal risk factors significantly discriminated between IUGR and non-IUGR infants. Finally, after controlling for maternal risk factors, US-born Mexican mothers were 1.21 times more likely to have an IUGR infant than were Mexico-born mothers. The problem of IUGR and its determinants in Mexican Americans deserves attention in clinical settings.