Outcome of pregnancies among Hispanics: revisiting the epidemiologic paradox.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcome of pregnancies among Hispanics in a tertiary care hospital in Miami, Florida.


METHODS
Retrospective study of all women who delivered in our institution over an 11-year period. Outcome variables were stratified by race/ethnicity groups: Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites. Variables included rates of low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery (PTD) and other selected pregnancy outcomes.


RESULTS
Thirty-five percent were of Hispanic origin, mainly of Caribbean, Central American and South American origin. Hispanics had the lowest rate of LBW (9%) when compared to blacks, non-Hispanics (18%) and white non-Hispanics (11%) (p < 0.0001). Hispanic women were less likely to deliver prematurely, at < 37 weeks (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.68, 95% CI 0.65-0.91, p < 0.0001), < 32 weeks (AOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.52-0.63, p < 0.0001) and < 28 weeks (AOR 0.66, 95% CI 0.51-0.65, p < 0.0001). Hispanic women were less likely to have preterm premature rupture of membranes (AOR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58-0.75, p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Hispanics have the lowest PTD and LBW rates when compared to non-Hispanic whites and blacks.
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA. vhgonzalez@med.miami.edu
Víctor Hugo
VH
González-Quintero
Lama
L
Tolaymat
Barbara
B
Luke
Adolfo
A
González-García
Lunthita
L
Duthely
Mary J
MJ
O'Sullivan
Dibe
D
Martin
D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies