Ethnic/Racial Disparities in the Fetal Growth Outcomes of Ecuadorian Newborns

Size at birth is an important indicator of future infant morbidity and mortality. Ethnic/racial disparities in birth weight
and other fetal growth outcomes are well documented for US and Canadian minority groups but not for those in Latin America.
The study compared the growth outcomes of 1,227 full-term Ecuadorian newborns delivered by Afro-descendant and indigenous
minority women with those of ethnic majority (mestizo) women. Minority newborns had higher risk for congenital microcephaly
but no excess risk for low birth weight or stunted linear growth compared to mestizos. However, minority newborns were significantly
heavier at birth, weighing an average of 3–5% more than mestizos. Afro-Ecuadorians newborns also were fatter. The risk profile
of Ecuadorian ethnic groups for certain fetal growth outcomes differs from some of those reported for North American minorities.
Further studies are needed to investigate the origins of these between-group differences and to develop ethnic specific interventions
for adverse growth outcomes.