Relation of traditional risk factors to intrauterine growth retardation among United States-born and foreign-born Mexican Americans in Chicago.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relation of traditional sociodemographic characteristics to the small-for-gestational age rates of urban Mexican Americans.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
We performed a stratified analysis of 1982-1983 Illinois vital records and 1980 U.S. Census income data. The authors analyzed the 1982-1983 Illinois vital records and 1980 U.S. Census income data to determine whether maternal sociodemographic characteristics are associated with the small-for-gestational age (weight-for-gestational-length < 10th percentile) rates among Mexican Americans in Chicago.


RESULTS
The small-for-gestational age rate was 2.1% for infants with U.S.-born mothers (N = 2,253) compared to 1.4% for infants with foreign-born mothers (N = 8,746); relative risk 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.1-2.1). For the U.S.-born cohort, maternal education, marital status, parity, prenatal care, and community income were associated with small-for-gestational age rates. In contrast, with the exception of marital status, these commonly cited risk factors were not associated with the small-for-gestational age rates of infants with Mexican-born mothers. The U.S.-born:Mexico-born small-for-gestational age rate ratio fluctuated around 2 among mothers with a high-risk (maternal age < 20 years, < 12 years education, unmarried marital status) demographic profile.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that traditional sociodemographic risk factors have different reproductive outcome consequences for U.S.-born and foreign-born Mexican-American mothers.
Collins
J W
JW
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial Hospital/Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA.
Martin
C R
CR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002641:Chicago / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007086:Illegitimacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D016015:Logistic Models; D017058:Mexican Americans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors