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Christine Odell, MD, MSc1, VK Chetty, PhD1, Milton Kotelchuck1, Malena Orejuela, DPH2, and Brian Jack, MD1. (1) Department of Family Medicine, Boston University, Dowling 5 South, Boston Medical Center, 780 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, 617-414-6209, christine.odell@bmc.org, (2) Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) rates for Black women remains twice that of Whites. Differences among maternal risk profiles and birth outcomes among Black ethnic groups have not been well studied. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of all Black women self-identified as African- American (n=12,258) or Haitian (n=4,320) delivering a live singleton infant in Massachusetts between 1996 and 2000. Results: Haitian women had slightly higher rates of chronic hypertension than African-American women and had similar rates of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Adjusting for sociodemographic, medical and prenatal care characteristics, Haitian women with chronic hypertension (OR = 6.8; 95% CI, 4.3, 10.6) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (OR = 3.2; 95% CI, 2.0, 5.1) had the highest risks for LBW infants. For African-American women, those with a history of adverse birth outcome (OR=3.9; 95% CI, 2.8, 5.4) and chronic hypertension (OR=2.9; 95% CI, 2.1, 4.0) had the highest risk for delivering a LBW infant. In combined logistic regression, Haitian women with either hypertensive disorder had a risk of LBW infant twice that of African-Americans. Conclusions: Although prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy is similar between African-Americans and Haitian women, they are more potent risk factors for LBW in Haitians.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.