Pregnancy outcomes of US-born and foreign-born Japanese Americans.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the birth outcomes of Japanese Americans, focusing on the role of the mother's place of birth.


METHODS
Single live births to US-resident Japanese American mothers (n = 37,941) were selected from the 1983 through 1987 US linked live birth-infant death files.


RESULTS
US-born mothers were more likely than foreign-born mothers to be less than 18 years old and not married, to start prenatal care early, and to more adequately use prenatal care. Infants of foreign-born Japanese Americans had a slightly lower risk of low birthweight.No significant differences were found between nativity groups for very low birthweight or neonatal, postneonatal, and infant mortality. The mortality rates of infants of US-born (6.2) and foreign-born (5.4) Japanese American women were below the US Year 2000 objective but still exceeded Japan's 1990 rate (4.6). However, low-birthweight percentages of the US-born group (5.7%) and the foreign-born group (5.0%) were similar to that of Japan (5.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
The infants of foreign-born Japanese-American women exhibited modestly better low-birthweight percentages than those of US-born Japanese Americans. This finding supports theories of the healthy immigrant.
Alexander
G R
GR
Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-2010, USA.
Mor
J M
JM
Kogan
M D
MD
Leland
N L
NL
Kieffer
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian; D001724:Birth Weight; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D017533:Marital Status; D008423:Maternal Age; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000208:ethnology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology