Racial disparities in maternal medical conditions during pregnancy: Promoting healthy communities through the 2007 Los Angeles County Mommy and Baby (LAMB) Project

BACKGROUND Despite the wealth of information on risk and protective factors for maternal medical conditions, little research is available on the racial disparities among mothers experiencing these conditions during pregnancy. Maternal medical conditions can lead to poor birth outcomes such as preterm and low birth weight. Identifying target populations will help reduce maternal medical conditions and improve health outcomes for communities. METHODS Mothers participating in LAMB, a population-based survey (n=6,264) with multi-level clustered sampling, were asked if they had experienced any of a variety of medical conditions during their pregnancy. These conditions were assessed using chi-square tests in SAS 9.2 and sampling weights to account for the complex sampling scheme. RESULTS In Los Angeles County, 74.2% of mothers experienced one or more medical conditions during their pregnancy. Hispanic and African American mothers had the highest prevalence of pre-labor pain, high blood pressure, bacterial vaginosis, periodontal disease, and depression compared to White and Asian mothers, ranging from 12.8% to 18.7%, 6.4% to 18.3%, 8.7% to 15.8%, 15.3% to 20.2%, and 10% to 24% respectively. High blood pressure, pre-labor pain, and bacterial vaginosis were highest in African American mothers, while depression and periodontal disease were highest in Hispanic mothers. Asian mothers had the highest prevalence of gestational diabetes (17.1%). DISCUSSION The racial disparities in maternal medical conditions must be acknowledged and monitored. Appropriate services for mothers who are at greatest risk will require cultural awareness and sensitivity as well as continued educational and outreach efforts to promote healthy families and communities.