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Birth weight of US biracial (black-white) infants: regional differences
1Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, USA.
Insights
Biracial infants born to Black mothers and White fathers have a higher rate of low birth weight compared to those born to White mothers and Black fathers. Regional variations exist, particularly in the West.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal epidemiology
- Racial disparities in infant health
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant public health concern, associated with increased infant mortality and morbidity.
- Understanding LBW prevalence in biracial populations is crucial for addressing health inequities.
- Previous research has highlighted disparities in infant health outcomes among different racial groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) in biracial infants (Black and White parents) across different regions of the United States.
- To compare LBW rates between infants with a Black mother and White father versus those with a White mother and Black father.
- To investigate regional variations in LBW for biracial infants.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the national linked live birth-death infant file for 1991.
- Analyzed data for 50,980 singleton biracial infants.
- Compared low birth weight (<2,500 g) rates based on parental race combinations (Black mother-White father vs. White mother-Black father) and US region.
Main Results:
- Nationally, the low birth weight rate was 31% higher for infants of Black mothers and White fathers (8.4%) compared to infants of White mothers and Black fathers (6.4%).
- Regional differences were observed; the disparity was smaller in the Northeast, partly due to a high rate among infants of Puerto Rican White mothers.
- The disparity was larger in the West (75% higher LBW in Black mother-White father group), persisting after controlling for parental education and maternal risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Significant regional variations exist in the prevalence of low birth weight among biracial infants.
- The study identified a higher prevalence of low birth weight in infants born to Black mothers and White fathers compared to White mothers and Black fathers.
- Further research is necessary to elucidate the maternal factors contributing to these observed regional differences in LBW among biracial infants.
Objective:
The study examined the prevalence of low birth weight among biracial infants of black and white parents, by region of the United States.
Methods:
Using the national linked live birth-death infant file for 1991, low birth weight (<2,500 g) was examined among 50,980 biracial singleton infants according to parental race (black mother-white father vs. white mother-black father).
Results:
Nationally, the rate of low birth weight was 31% higher in the black mother-white father group (8.4%) than in the white mother-black father group (6.4%). The difference was smaller in the Northeast, reflecting a high rate (9.8%) for biracial infants of Puerto-Rican white mothers. The difference in the West was larger (75%), due to both a high rate in the black mother-white father group (9.1%) and a low rate for the white mother-black father group (5.2%), and persisted after controlling for parental education and a variety of maternal risk factors.
Conclusions:
Further studies are needed to identify the maternal factors involved in the regional differences in the prevalence of low birth weight among biracial infants.