Open AccessShort stature, smoking habits and birth outcome in international adoptees in Sweden
Author(s) -
EKÉUS CECILIA,
LINDBLAD FRANK,
HJERN ANDERS
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1080/00016340802499279
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , short stature , birth weight , offspring , odds ratio , gestational age , demography , premature birth , population , apgar score , cohort study , obstetrics , prospective cohort study , pregnancy , surgery , environmental health , genetics , sociology , biology
Objective . To investigate short stature and smoking habits as risk factors for birth outcome in international adoptees in comparison with non‐adopted mothers. Design . Prospective cohort study. Setting . Nationwide study in Sweden. Population . Two study groups were identified from mothers who were born 1968–1979 and gave birth during 1982–2001 – 3,610 mother‐child dyads with a mother adopted from a non‐European country and 336,992 mother‐child dyads with a mother born in Sweden. Method . Register study. Outcome measures . Pre‐eclampsia, instrumental delivery, preterm delivery, small for gestational age (SGA), Apgar score, cephalhematoma and perinatal mortality and birth weight. Results . Short stature and smoking were more common in international adoptees compared with non‐adopted, odds ratios (ORs) 29.07 (95% C.I.: 25.29–33.42) and 1.39 (1.27–1.52), respectively. International adoptees had a slightly increased risk for instrumental delivery (OR: 1.42; 1.32–1.54) and preterm delivery (<37 weeks) (OR: 1.39; 1.24–1.56) and there was a slightly increased risk for SGA (OR: 1.24; 1.01–1.52) in their offspring. However, when we adjusted for maternal height, preterm delivery was the only outcome that remained statistically significant. Adjustment for smoking habits had marginal effects on all outcomes. Conclusion . The short stature of international adoptees increased their risk for delivery and birth complications in a predictable manner, but otherwise outcomes were very similar to the general population. No special obstetric monitoring is indicated by adoption status in itself.