Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1998 May;88(5):808–811. doi: 10.2105/ajph.88.5.808

High birthweights among infants of north African immigrants in Belgium.

P Buekens 1, G Masuy-Stroobant 1, T Delvaux 1
PMCID: PMC1508957  PMID: 9585752

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined birthweights of North African immigrants in Belgium. METHODS: Analyses focused on Belgian single live birth certificates from 1981 to 1988. RESULTS: Low-birthweight (< 2500 g) rates were 3.1% among 34,686 newborns of North African origin and 4.8% among 804,286 newborns of Belgian origin. The entire North African birthweight distribution was shifted toward higher birthweights than the Belgian distribution. Low frequencies of low birthweights among North Africans were still observed after marital status, occupation of the father, and parity had been taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: Despite their low socioeconomic status, North African immigrants have high birthweights.

Full text

PDF
810

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander S., Boutsen M., Kittel F., Buekens P. Les taux d'insuffisance pondérale à la naissance en Europe: problèmes d'enregistrement et effets des interventions médicales. Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 1995;43(3):272–280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Buekens P., Kotelchuck M., Blondel B., Kristensen F. B., Chen J. H., Masuy-Stroobant G. A comparison of prenatal care use in the United States and Europe. Am J Public Health. 1993 Jan;83(1):31–36. doi: 10.2105/ajph.83.1.31. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buekens P., Wilcox A. J., Kiely J., Masuy-Stroobant G. Birthweight, preterm births and neonatal mortality in Belgium and the United States. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 1995 Jul;9(3):273–280. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3016.1995.tb00143.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Doornbos J. P., Nordbeck H. J., Van Enk A. E., Muller A. S., Treffers P. E. Differential birthweights and the clinical relevance of birthweight standards in a multiethnic society. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1991 Apr;34(4):319–324. doi: 10.1016/0020-7292(91)90600-a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gourbin G., Masuy-Stroobant G. Registration of vital data: are live births and stillbirths comparable all over Europe? Bull World Health Organ. 1995;73(4):449–460. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Guendelman S., English P. B. Effect of United States residence on birth outcomes among Mexican immigrants: an exploratory study. Am J Epidemiol. 1995 Nov 1;142(9 Suppl):S30–S38. doi: 10.1093/aje/142.supplement_9.s30. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Guendelman S., Gould J. B., Hudes M., Eskenazi B. Generational differences in perinatal health among the Mexican American population: findings from HHANES 1982-84. Am J Public Health. 1990 Dec;80 (Suppl):61–65. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.suppl.61. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Martínez Cortés F., Martínez Guerrero M. V., Valdivielso Felices P., Legros Carrenard J. R., Martín Sánchez J. Valores antropométricos en el recién nacido: estudio comparativo en dos grupos étnicos. An Esp Pediatr. 1992 Nov;37(5):399–401. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Saurel-Cubizolles M. J., Stengel B., Kaminski M., Blondel B. Surveillance prénatale et issue de la grossesse selon l'origine des femmes nées hors de France métropolitaine. J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris) 1986;15(1):19–27. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Scribner R. Paradox as paradigm--the health outcomes of Mexican Americans. Am J Public Health. 1996 Mar;86(3):303–305. doi: 10.2105/ajph.86.3.303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Singh G. K., Yu S. M. Adverse pregnancy outcomes: differences between US- and foreign-born women in major US racial and ethnic groups. Am J Public Health. 1996 Jun;86(6):837–843. doi: 10.2105/ajph.86.6.837. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Skjaerven R., Wilcox A. J., Lie R. T., Irgens L. M. Selective fertility and the distortion of perinatal mortality. Am J Epidemiol. 1988 Dec;128(6):1352–1363. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115088. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wilcox A. J., Russell I. T. Birthweight and perinatal mortality: I. On the frequency distribution of birthweight. Int J Epidemiol. 1983 Sep;12(3):314–318. doi: 10.1093/ije/12.3.314. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Yudkin P. L., Harlap S., Baras M. High birthweight in an ethnic group of low socioeconomic status. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1983 Apr;90(4):291–296. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1983.tb08912.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. de Schampheleire I., Parent M. A., Chatteur C. Excessive carbohydrate intake in pregnancy and neonatal obesity: study in Cap Bon, Tunisia. Arch Dis Child. 1980 Jul;55(7):521–526. doi: 10.1136/adc.55.7.521. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES