Background: The study examines the relationship between maternal nativity, maternal risks and birth outcomes in six Asian sub-populations. Methods: U.S.-versus foreign-born immigrants of Chinese (67,222), Japanese (18,275) and Filipino (87,1208), Vietnamese (45,229), Cambodian/Laotian (21,237), and Korean (23,430) singleton live births were assessed for maternal risks and birth outcomes. Results: U.S.-born Chinese and Japanese mothers had lower risk and increased preterm births but similar infant mortality, while U.S.-born Filipino mothers had higher risk and higher infant mortality. U.S.-born mothers of more recent Cambodian/Laotian and Vietnamese immigrants had higher risk and delivered more small and preterm births, while U.S.-born Korean mothers had higher risk but no differences in preterm and low birthweight delivery. Discussion: Asians in America are a distinctly heterogenous population in terms of the relationship between maternal risk factors and birth outcomes and the influence of maternal nativity on this relationship. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008.

Asian immigrants Maternal nativity Birth outcomes

human Asia Premature Birth ethnology United States Humans classification Adolescent California Infant, Newborn Asian Americans Emigrants and Immigrants Asian American female newborn pregnancy Mothers Article pregnancy outcome mother adult migration prematurity Infant Mortality Vital Statistics