title: Why do foreign-born blacks have lower infant mortality than native-born blacks? New directions in African-American infant mortality research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study focuses attention on maternal nutrition and stress as possible reasons for excess black infant mortality after exploring lower infant mortality for the infants of foreign-born black mothers compared to native-born black mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  All births to non-Hispanic black women in New York City from 1988-1992 were examined and infant mortality for the infants of native-born women was compared to infant mortality for the infants of foreign-born women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before controlling for potential confounders on the birth certificate, the infants of native-born black women had a greater risk of infant mortality than the infants of foreign-born black women: OR = 1.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38, 1.58). After controlling for potential confounders, the infants of native-born black women still had a greater risk of infant mortality than the infants of foreign-born black women: OR(a) = 1.32 (95% Cl = 1.21, 1.43).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal nutrition and stress are possible causes of excess black infant mortality. They should be topics for research and program development.
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Family Health, Oregon Division of Human Services, Portland 97232, USA. ken.d.rosenberg@state.or.us
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Rani A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kan
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends*