title: The Hispanic paradox in twin pregnancies.
abstract: The objective of this study was to compare length of gestation, fetal growth, and birthweight by race/ethnicity and pregravid weight groups in twin pregnancies. Three thousand and thirty-six twin pregnancies of 28 weeks or more gestation were divided by race/ethnicity (White, Black and Hispanic), and pregravid body mass index (BMI) groups (less than 25.0 vs. 25.0 or more). Outcomes were modeled using multiple regression, controlling for confounders, with White non-Hispanic women as the reference group. Hispanic women had the highest average birthweight and the longest gestation, as well as the lowest proportions of low birthweight, very low birthweight, preterm and early preterm births of the 3 race/ethnicity groups. In the multivariate analyses, Hispanic women had significantly longer gestations (by 7.8 days) and faster rates of fetal growth midgestation (20 to 28 weeks, by 17.4 g/week) and late gestation (after 28 weeks, by 5.3 g/week), whereas Black women had significantly slower rates of fetal growth (by 5.7 g/week and by 4.5 g/week, respectively). These findings in twins reflect the racial and ethnic disparities previously shown in singletons, including the Hispanic paradox of longer gestations and higher rates of fetal growth.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, Coral Gables, Florida, USA. b.luke@miami.edu
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.forename: Morton B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Ruta B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Misiunas
authors.forename: Victor H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Quintero
authors.forename: Clark
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Cosmas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van de Ven
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Witter
authors.forename: Roger B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Alton
authors.forename: Gary D V
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Hankins
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Grainger
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Macones
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014427:Twins