Pregnancy outcomes in foreign-born and US-born women.
OBJECTIVE
To compare pregnancy outcomes between foreign-born women and women born in the United States (US-born).


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study (1991-2001) of all deliveries at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.


RESULTS
Among 49,904 deliveries, 27% were to foreign-born mothers representing 164 countries grouped into eight geographic regions. Compared with US-born women, foreign-born women had a higher mean birthweight (3315 vs. 3083 g), and a lower risk of preterm delivery (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.43-0.49), perinatal mortality (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.36-0.45), hypertension (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.23-0.41), and HIV infection (RR 0.13, 95% CI 0.10-0.18). However, foreign-born women had an increased risk of diabetes (RR 1.63, 95% CI 1.48-1.79), perineal laceration (RR 1.71; 95% CI 1.66-1.76), and postpartum hemorrhage (RR 1.10; 95% CI 1.05-1.15).


CONCLUSIONS
Foreign-born women have better health behaviors, pregnancy outcomes, and a lower risk of infectious diseases than US-born women, but they have a higher risk of certain medical conditions and obstetric complications.
Forna
F
F
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. fforna@emory.edu
Jamieson
D J
DJ
Sanders
D
D
Lindsay
M K
MK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011336:Probability; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology