TABLE 4—
Observed and Adjusted Odds Ratios for Specific Maternal Morbidities in Mexican-Born Relative to US-Born White, Non-Latina Women during Labor and Delivery, 1996–98
| Observed OR | Adjusted ORa | |
| Obstetric Complications | OR (95% CI) | OR (95% CI) |
| Hemorrhage | ||
| Antepartum | 0.76 (0.74, 0.79) | 0.72 (0.69, 0.76) |
| Postpartum | 1.00 (0.97, 1.02) | 1.06 (1.02, 1.11) |
| Preeclampsia and eclampsia | ||
| All preeclampsia and eclampsia | 0.88 (0.85, 0.90) | 0.87 (0.84, 0.90) |
| Severe preeclampsia | 1.12 (1.06, 1.18) | 1.20 (1.11, 1.30) |
| Eclampsia | 1.42 (1.21, 1.66) | 1.41 (1.14, 1.75) |
| Obstetric trauma | ||
| Third/fourth-degree laceration | 0.75 (0.74, 0.77) | 1.16 (1.12, 1.19) |
| Fourth-degree laceration | 0.85 (0.82, 0.89) | 1.11 (1.05, 1.17) |
| Other obstetric trauma | 0.89 (0.87, 0.92) | 0.83 (0.80, 0.87) |
| Ruptured uterus | 0.82 (0.70, 0.95) | |
| Infection | ||
| Any infection | 1.00 (0.98, 1.01) | 0.99 (0.96, 1.01) |
| Genitounrinary infection | 1.03 (1.01, 1.06) | 0.83 (0.81, 0.86) |
| Amnionitis | 1.20 (1.16, 1.24) | 1.41 (1.35, 1.48) |
| Other infection | 0.78 (0.76, 0.80) | 0.66 (0.63, 0.69) |
| Fever | 0.68 (0.65, 0.71) | 1.16 (1.09, 1.23) |
| Major puerperal infection | 1.46 (1.39, 1.53) | 1.33 (1.25, 1.42) |
| Postpartum fever of unknown origin | 1.36 (1.27, 1.45) | 1.37 (1.26, 1.49) |
| Sepsis | 1.24 (0.93, 1.65) | |
| Other obstetric complications not listed above | ||
| Other puerperal complication | 0.78 (0.75, 0.80) | 0.80 (0.76, 0.84) |
| Distress, shock, arrest, etc. | 0.72 (0.67, 0.77) | 0.97 (0.88, 1.07) |
| Anesthesia complication | 0.61 (0.56, 0.66) | 0.77 (0.70, 0.86) |
| Wound complication | 0.83 (0.78, 0.89) | 0.80 (0.72, 0.88) |
| Deep venous thrombosis | 0.77 (0.64, 0.92) | |
| Gestational liver disease | 0.85 (0.69, 1.05) | |
| Late vomiting | 0.37 (0.32, 0.44) | |
| Pulmonary or amniotic embolism | 0.54 (0.37, 0.78) | |
| Cerebrovascular accident | 0.81 (0.63, 1.04) | |
| 1 or more maternal morbidities | 0.84 (0.83 0.85) | 0.92 (0.91, 0.93) |
Note. CI = confidence interval; OR = odd ratio. Bold text indicates statistically significant results.
aAdjusted for age, parity (2 variables, 1 indicating primiparous status, the other indicating parity 4 or higher), education, economic status (PNC payment source, public/self vs. private), prenatal care initiation (variable with 4 levels, each level with an earlier PNC initiation), and quality of care (2 variables, 1 indicating significantly or marginally better hospitals [hiqual], the other indicating significantly or marginally worse hospitals [lowqual]). The model for major lacerations and fourth-degree lacerations included an additional indicator for macrosomia (birthweight > 4000 grams). Thus, the logistic regression model used was: Morbidity = B0 + B1Mexican-born + B2Age + B3Par1 + B4Par4 + B5Education + B6Publicpayment + B7Kotelpnc + B8lowqual + B9 hiqual.
Logistic regression models for ruptured uterus, sepsis, deep venous thrombosis, gestational liver disease, late vomiting, embolism, and cerebrovascular accident were not significant; logistic OR’s were not calculated for these outcomes.
Source. California Office of State Health Planning and Development, 1996–1998.11