title: International migration and adverse birth outcomes: role of ethnicity, region of origin and destination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The literature on international migration and birth outcomes shows mixed results. This study examined whether low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth differed between non-migrants and migrant subgroups, defined by race/ethnicity and world region of origin and destination.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review and meta-regression analyses were conducted using three-level logistic models to account for the heterogeneity between studies and between subgroups within studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four studies, involving more than 30 million singleton births, met the inclusion criteria. Compared with US-born black women, black migrant women were at lower odds of delivering LBW and preterm birth babies. Hispanic migrants also exhibited lower odds for these outcomes, but Asian and white migrants did not. Sub-Saharan African and Latin-American and Caribbean women were at higher odds of delivering LBW babies in Europe but not in the USA and south-central Asians were at higher odds in both continents, compared with the native-born populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between migration and adverse birth outcomes varies by migrant subgroup and it is sensitive to the definition of the migrant and reference groups.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Inner City Health, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON M5C 1N8, Canada. marcelo.urquia@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Marcelo Luis
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Urquia
authors.forename: Richard Henry
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Glazier
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Blondel
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeitlin
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gissler
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macfarlane
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heaman
authors.forename: Babill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stray-Pedersen
authors.forename: Anita J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gagnon
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000208:ethnology*; D014481:United States
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