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Birth Outcomes of Foreign‐Born, Native‐Born, and Mixed Couples in S weden
Author(s) -
Urquia Marcelo L.,
Qiao Yao,
Ray Joel G.,
Liu Can,
Hjern Anders
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/ppe.12179
Subject(s) - medicine , immigration , demography , small for gestational age , foreign born , ethnic group , relative risk , singleton , confidence interval , pediatrics , gestational age , obstetrics , pregnancy , population , environmental health , geography , archaeology , sociology , biology , genetics , anthropology
Background Many births in industrialised countries are to immigrant parents, or to one immigrant and one domestically born parent. Their newborn outcomes have not been well studied. Methods We conducted a study of 1 690 423 singleton infants born in S weden between 1987 and 2008, including those of immigrants from E ast A sia, S outh A sia, S ub‐ S aharan A frica, and E ast A frica. Preterm delivery and small for gestational age ( SGA ) were assessed among infants of (i) immigrant parents from the same world region, (ii) an immigrant mother and a S wedish‐born father, and (iii) a S wedish‐born mother and an immigrant father; each compared to (iv) two S wedish‐born parents. Log binomial regression analysis generated adjusted risk ratios ( ARRs ) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs ) for preterm delivery and SGA . Results Compared with infants of two S wedish‐born parents, infants born to immigrant mothers from E ast A sia, S outh A sia, and S ub‐ S aharan A frican were at higher risk of preterm delivery ( ARR ranging from 1.2 to 1.9), irrespective of whether the father was from the same world region or S wedish‐born, with the only exception of E ast A frican women, who had lower risk. Infants born to two foreign‐born parents had the highest risks of SGA , particularly S outh A sians ( ARR 4.69; 95% CI 4.29, 5.12). Mixed couples exhibited intermediate risks of SGA . Conclusions Adverse birth outcomes differ according to a couple's ethnic composition. Having a S wedish‐born partner is associated with lower risk of SGA among immigrant mothers and fathers, and with lower risk of preterm delivery among immigrant fathers but not mothers.