Optimal birth weight and term mortality risk differ among different ethnic groups in the U.S

Abstract

Among European countries,optimalbirth weightat which themortalityis minimal is shown to bedifferentby country. We investigated thisdifferenceexamining one geopolitical population, the U.S.termlive births, born to the fivegroupsof the sameethnicparents; White, Black, Hispanic, North Asian, and South Asian. North Asians and South Asians had more favorable maternal factors forbirth weight. Yet, Whites had the highest meanbirth weightand South Asians, the lowest. However, neonatalmortalityrate in Whites was 0.78 per 1,000 live births, significantly higher than 0.36 and 0.72 per 1,000 live births in North Asians and South Asians, respectively. Other maternal factors hardly explained thisethnicdisparity inbirth weightormortality.Optimalbirth weightwas greatest in Whites (3,890 g), and least in South Asians (3,491 g). However, neonatalmortalityatoptimalbirth weightwas significantly lower in North Asians. Adjustment of maternal factors except parental ethnicity changed little of thisdifference.Optimalbirth weightand itsmortalitydifferby ethnicity. On planning the bestbirthoutcome in a population, one should consider the variablemortalityrisks by ethnicity.