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Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is one of the leading causes of adverse infant outcomes. Black women are disproportionately affected by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and it associated adverse outcomes. Adequate prenatal care may improve adverse infant outcomes. However, the evidence on adequate prenatal care improving birth outcomes for women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy especially for Blacks is limited. This study examined the role of adequate prenatal care and race/ethnicity as moderators of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on infant outcomes. Methods: The sample was obtained from the 2016–2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Surveillance dataset from North Carolina. We compared adequate prenatal care among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (n = 610) to women without(n = 2,827), and women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with adequate prenatal care to women hypertensive disorders of pregnancy with inadequate prenatal care. Results: The weighted prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 14.1%. Adequate prenatal care was associated with better infant outcomes for low birth weight (AOR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.58, 0.90) and preterm birth (AOR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.46, 0.82). Although these effects were not moderated by Black race/ethnicity, Black women independently also had worse outcomes for preterm birth (AOR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.11, 2.28) and low birth weight (AOR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.42, 2.29). Conclusions: Moderation of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy effects on infant outcomes by prenatal care and race/ethnicity was not found. Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy who received inadequate prenatal care experienced worse adverse birth outcomes compared to women without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Strategies to improve prenatal care, particularly among underserved populations at risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, need to be a public health priority. Significance: What is already known on this subject? Racial/ethnicity disparities persist in birth outcomes in the United States despite the continuous efforts to improve birth outcomes. What this study adds? Although, adequate prenatal care improves preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age, adequate prenatal care or race/ethnicity did not moderate adverse birth outcomes. Healthcare provider contacts during the pregnancy period may not be enough to address birth outcomes disparities. Preconception interventions should be encouraged, especially for Black women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human migration is not a new phenomenon, but it has changed significantly with the advance of globalization. We focus on differences in the published literature concerning migration and health (EU vs the US), centering specifically on reproductive health outcomes. We conducted a literature search in the Pubmed and Embase databases. We reviewed papers that contrast migrants to native-born populations and analyzed differences between countries as well as challenges for future research. The prevalence of low birthweight among migrants varies by the host country characteristics as well as the composition of migrants to different regions. The primary driver of migrant health is the migrant 'regime' in different countries at specific periods of time. Future health outcomes of immigrants will depend on the societal characteristics (legal protections, institutions and health systems) of host countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ethnicity (AE) mothers have lower preterm birth (PTB) risk than white mothers. Little is known about the determinants of PTB among AE women or the role of interethnic mating in shaping PTB risk among this group. We assessed the relationship between interethnic mating and risk for PTB, very PTB, and late PTB among AE mothers. Data was collected for all births ( N = 21,621) to AE women in Michigan between 2000 and 2005. Self-reported ancestry was used to determine paternal AE as well as to identify AE mothers. We used bivariate chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression to assess the relationship between paternal non-AE and risk for PTB, very PTB, and late PTB among AE mothers. All analyses were also conducted among non-Arab white mothers as a control. Among AE mothers, paternal non-Arab ethnicity was associated with higher risk of PTB (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.30) and late PTB (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.38) compared to paternal Arab ethnicity. Paternal non-Arab ethnicity was not associated with risk for any outcome among non-Arab white mothers. Future studies could assess the causal mechanisms underlying the association between interethnic mating and risk for PTB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The study examines the relationship between maternal nativity, maternal risks and birth outcomes in six Asian sub-populations. Methods U.S.- versus foreign-born immigrants of Chinese (67,222), Japanese (18,275) and Filipino (87,1208), Vietnamese (45,229), Cambodian/Laotian (21,237), and Korean (23,430) singleton live births were assessed for maternal risks and birth outcomes. Results U.S.-born Chinese and Japanese mothers had lower risk and increased preterm births but similar infant mortality, while U.S.-born Filipino mothers had higher risk and higher infant mortality. U.S.-born mothers of more recent Cambodian/Laotian and Vietnamese immigrants had higher risk and delivered more small and preterm births, while U.S.-born Korean mothers had higher risk but no differences in preterm and low birthweight delivery. Discussion Asians in America are a distinctly heterogenous population in terms of the relationship between maternal risk factors and birth outcomes and the influence of maternal nativity on this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the extent to which racial and ethnic disparities exist in the use of prenatal services among Medicaid pregnant women. Methods: Medicaid claims data for Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and Texas, with linked birth certificate data for Georgia and Texas, were used to investigate the use of selected prenatal services, including the initiation and adequacy of prenatal care visits; prescriptions for multiple vitamins and iron supplements; and claims for complete blood cell counts, blood type and RH status, hepatitis B surface antigen, ultrasound, maternal serum alphafetoprotein, drug screening, and HIV tests. We computed raw and adjusted odds ratios of having the health service of interest during pregnancy for women in three minority groups: black non-Hispanics, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. Results: We found racial and ethnic disparities in the use of every health service investigated. Compared with white non-Hispanics, minority women were less likely to receive services that the woman initiates, discretionary services, and services potentially requiring specialized follow-up care, whereas they were more likely to receive screening tests for diseases related to high-risk behaviors. Disparities were generally larger, more consistent across states, and less likely to be explained by other factors among black non-Hispanics than among either Hispanics or Asian/Pacific Islanders. Conclusions: Even among women who are provided equal financial access to health care services, unexplained racial and ethnic disparities persist in the initiation and use of both routine and specialized prenatal care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the assumption that obstetric risk factors would change over time in an immigrant Ethiopian population, a retrospective study of the records of singleton births among the Ethiopian immigrants between 1981-88 was undertaken and compared to a similar study of the general population. The Ethiopian immigrants were characterized by pregnancies at age extremes, a greater incidence of preeclampsia and premature deliveries, and a lower incidence of premature rupture of membranes. There was over time an increase in maternal weight gain among the Ethiopians as well as an increase in the incidence of preeclampsia and perinatal mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]