Abstract
To examine, nationwide, if there is an association between country of birth in mothers and preterm birth and to study whether
any such association remains in second-generation immigrant women. In this follow-up study, a nationwide research database
located at Lund University, Sweden, was used to identify all preterm born singletons in Sweden between January 1, 1982, and
December 31, 2006. Incidence ratios were standardized with regard to maternal age at birth, marital status, geographical region,
body height, and smoking history as well as period of birth, family income, and gender of the infant. Singletons of mothers
born in Sweden were used as the reference group. There were 2,192,843 records for singletons over the study period, of whom
4.9 % were preterm births and 0.8 % were very preterm births. Increased risk of preterm birth was observed for mothers from
Austria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Central Europe, and Asia. Increased risk of very preterm birth was observed for mothers from
Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Africa, and Asia; these increased risk disappeared, however, in the second-generation female
immigrants. Country of birth in mothers affected the risk of preterm birth; maternity care should pay special attention to
women from certain population groups.
any such association remains in second-generation immigrant women. In this follow-up study, a nationwide research database
located at Lund University, Sweden, was used to identify all preterm born singletons in Sweden between January 1, 1982, and
December 31, 2006. Incidence ratios were standardized with regard to maternal age at birth, marital status, geographical region,
body height, and smoking history as well as period of birth, family income, and gender of the infant. Singletons of mothers
born in Sweden were used as the reference group. There were 2,192,843 records for singletons over the study period, of whom
4.9 % were preterm births and 0.8 % were very preterm births. Increased risk of preterm birth was observed for mothers from
Austria, Yugoslavia, Romania, Central Europe, and Asia. Increased risk of very preterm birth was observed for mothers from
Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Africa, and Asia; these increased risk disappeared, however, in the second-generation female
immigrants. Country of birth in mothers affected the risk of preterm birth; maternity care should pay special attention to
women from certain population groups.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-7
- DOI 10.1007/s10995-012-1087-7
- Authors
- Xinjun Li, Center for Primary Health Care Research, Clinical Research Centre (CRC), Building 28, Entrance 72, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
- Jan Sundquist, Center for Primary Health Care Research, Clinical Research Centre (CRC), Building 28, Entrance 72, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
- Kristina Sundquist, Center for Primary Health Care Research, Clinical Research Centre (CRC), Building 28, Entrance 72, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
- Journal Maternal and Child Health Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-6628
- Print ISSN 1092-7875