Biomedical subjects

James W Collins

Publications and source records attributed to James W Collins.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Relation of maternal low birth weight to infant growth retardation and prematurity.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the relationship between maternal birth weight, infant intrauterine growth retardation, and prematurity. METHODS: Stratified and logistic regression analyses were performed on a dataset of computerized Illinois vital records of African American (N = 61,849) and White (N = 203,698) infants born between 1989 and 1991 and their mothers born between 1956 and 1975. RESULTS: Race-specific rates of small-for-gestational age (weight-for-gestational age <10th percentile) and preterm (<37 weeks) infants rose as maternal birth weight declined. The adjusted (controlling for maternal age, education, marital status, parity, prenatal care utilization, and cigarette smoking) odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of small-for-gestational age for maternal low birth weight (<2,500 g) among African Americans and Whites were 1.7 (1.1.4-1.9) and 1.8 (1.7-2.0), respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of prematurity for maternal low birth weight (<2,500 g) among African Americans and Whites were 1.6 (1.3-1.9) and 1.3 (1.0-1.6), respectively. The racial disparity in the rates of small-for-gestational age and prematurity persisted independent of maternal birth weight: adjusted odds ratio equaled 2.2 (2.1-2.4) and 1.5 (1.4-1.7), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal low birth weight is a risk factor for infant intrauterine growth retardation and prematurity among African Americans independent of maternal risk status during pregnancy; it is a risk factor for infant intrauterine growth retardation among Whites. Maternal low birth weight fails to explain the racial disparity in the rates of small-for-gestational age and premature infants.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Intergenerational birth weights among the direct female descendants of US-born and Mexican-born Mexican-American women in Illinois: an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the intergenerational birth-weight patterns of the direct female descendants of Mexican-American women. DESIGN: This is a population-based study. METHODS: Stratified analyses were performed on a transgenerational dataset of 1956-1975 and 1989-1991 Illinois computerized vital records of Mexican-American infants. RESULTS: Among the descendants of generation 1 US-born Mexican-American women (n=1,940), generation 3 females had a birth weight equivalent to that of their generation 2 mothers, (3294 g vs 3283 g); generation 3 infants with unmarried mothers had a birth weight 121 g less than that of generation 2 infants born to unmarried mothers (3163 g vs 3284 g, P<.01); and generation 3 female infants born to teenaged women had a birth weight 70 g less than that of their generation 2 mothers who were born to teenaged women (3178 g vs 3248 g, P<.01). Among the descendants of generation 1 Mexican-born women (n=1,017), generation 3 females had a birth weight equivalent to that of their generation 2 mothers (3335 g vs 3363 g); generation 3 infants with teenaged mothers had a birth weight 108 g less than that of generation 2 infants with teenaged mothers (3264 g vs 3372 g, P<.01). CONCLUSIONS: An intergenerational rise in birth weight does not occur among the direct female descendants of Mexican-American women.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Advancing maternal age and infant birth weight among urban African Americans: the effect of neighborhood poverty.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether neighborhood poverty modifies the relationship between maternal age and infant birth weight among urban African Americans. DESIGN: Stratified analyses were performed on the vital records of African Americans born in Chicago by means of 1992-1995 computerized birth file with appended 1990 US Census income and 1995 Chicago Department of Public Health data. Four neighborhood-level variables (low median family income, high rates of unemployment, homicide, and lead poisoning) were analyzed. SETTING: This is a population-based study. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent (n=21,811) of women resided in nonimpoverished neighborhoods (zero ecologic risk factors); 23% (n=24,914) of women lived in extremely impoverished neighborhoods (four ecologic risk factors). In nonimpoverished neighborhoods, 30-34 year old women had a moderately low birth weight (1500-2499 g) rate of 13.9% compared to 10.3% for women aged 20-24 years; risk difference (95% confidence interval [CI])=3.5 (2.2-4.6). In contrast, extremely impoverished women aged 30-34 years had a moderately low birth weight rate of 19.8% compared to 11.8% for women aged 20-24 years; risk difference (95% CI)=7.7 (6.1-9.3). This trend persisted among women who received early prenatal care and were primagravids or of low parity. Neighborhood poverty did not modify the association of advancing maternal age and the risk of very low birth weight (<1500 g). CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood poverty accelerates the rise in moderately low birth weight but not very low birth weight; rates were associated with advancing maternal age among urban African Americans.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The effects of racial density and income incongruity on pregnancy outcomes.

This study shows that living in a better area reduces the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes but, among African-American women, living in an area in which they are in a racial minority may increase the risk. Using the 1991 cohort of single infants born to African-American women in Chicago, we measured census tract socioeconomic status and defined women as having "positive income incongruity" if they lived in wealthier tracts than the average African-American woman of comparable education and marital status. We examined whether or not the effect of positive income incongruity differed according to whether or not African-American women lived in predominantly black, or mixed tracts. Among the women living in predominantly black census tracts, positive income incongruity was associated with a lower risk of low birth weight (odds ratio (OR)=0.91) and preterm delivery (OR=0.83). These effects were modest, but statistically significant for gestation (p-value=0.01). In contrast, among the women living in mixed tracts positive income incongruity was not associated with low birth weight (OR=1.04) or preterm delivery (OR=1.11). In mixed areas the expected benefits of positive income incongruity are completely offset by the racial density effect, suggesting that the positive effects of a better socioeconomic context may be countered for minority women by the adverse effects of racism or racial stigma.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Very low birthweight in African American infants: the role of maternal exposure to interpersonal racial discrimination.

OBJECTIVES: We determined whether African American women's lifetime exposure to interpersonal racial discrimination is associated with pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: We performed a case-control study among 104 African American women who delivered very low birthweight (<1500 g) preterm (<37 weeks) infants and 208 African American women who delivered non-low-birthweight (>2500 g) term infants in Chicago, Ill. RESULTS: The unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio of very low birthweight infants for maternal lifetime exposure to interpersonal racism in 3 or more domains equaled 3.2 (95% confidence intervals=1.5, 6.6) and 2.6 (1.2, 5.3), respectively. This association tended to persist across maternal sociodemographic, biomedical, and behavioral characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The lifelong accumulated experiences of racial discrimination by African American women constitute an independent risk factor for preterm delivery.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Maternal support in the delivery room and birthweight among African-American women.

OBJECTIVES: We performed a hospital-based case control study of African-American mothers to explore the relationship between maternal support by a significant other in the delivery room and very low birthweight (VLBW). METHODS: We administered a structured questionnaire to mothers of VLBW (less than 1,500 g; N=104) and normal birthweight (greater or equal to 2,500 g; N=208) infants. RESULTS: The odds ratio for VLBW comparing women without social support in the delivery room to those with a companion was 3.5 (2.1-5.8). Several traditional risk factors were not associated with VLBW, but older maternal age and perceived racial discrimination were. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal support in the delivery room or factors closely associated with it significantly decreases the odds of delivering a VLBW infant for African-American women.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2004

Pregnancy outcome of Mexican-American women: the effect of generational residence in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether duration of generational residence in the United States is associated with the pregnancy outcome of Mexican Americans. DESIGN: This is a population-based study. METHODS: Stratified analyses were performed on a data set of 1989-1991 Illinois computerized vital records of Mexican-American infants. RESULTS: First generation (N=2,203) and second or higher (N=4,192) US-born Mexican-American women had infant low birth-weight rates of 7.5% and 6.1%, respectively, compared to 5.1% for Mexican-born women (N=39,050); relative risk=1.4 (1.2-1.7) and 1.2 (1.1-1.4), respectively. Among women with one or more high-risk sociodemographic characteristics (age less than 20 years, educational attainment less than 12 years, unmarried, high parity, or inadequate prenatal care), first generation (N=1,624) and second or higher generation (N=2,874) US-born Mexican-American women had infant low birth-weight rates of 8.3% and 6.5%, respectively, vs 5.2% for Mexican-born women (N=33,625); relative risk = 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-1.9) and 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4), respectively. Among women with the lowest sociodemographic risk profile, infant low birthweight rates did not vary between the subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: For second or higher generation US-born Mexican-American women, the rate of infant low birth weight does not exceed that of first generation US-born women; it actually approximates that of Mexican-born women across a broad range of sociodemographic characteristics.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Low birth weight across generations.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the relationship between maternal birth weight, prenatal care usage, and infant birth weight. METHODS: Stratified and logistic regression analyses were performed on a dataset of computerized Illinois vital records of White (N = 187, 074) and African-American (N = 58,856) infants born between 1989 and 1991 and their mothers born between 1956 and 1975. RESULTS: Among White mothers who received adequate prenatal care, the low birth weight (<2500 g) rate was 4% for infants of former low birth weight mothers (N = 5230) compared to 2.1% for infants of former nonlow birth weight mothers (N = 93,011), relative risk equaled 1.9(1.7-2.2); the population attributable risk of maternal low birth weight was 4.1%. Among African American mothers who received adequate prenatal care, the low birth weight rate was 15% for infants of former low birth weight mothers (N = 2196) compared to 7.2% for infants of former nonlow birth weight mothers (N = 14,607), relative risk equaled 2.1(1.9-2.4); the population attributable risk of maternal low birth weight was 10.9%. The maternal-infant birth weight associations were consistent across all maternal age, education, marital status, and prenatal care categories. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal low birth weight is a risk factor for infant low birth weight independent of risk status during the current pregnancy. A greater percentage of low birth weight African American (compared to White) infants are attributable to maternal low birth weight.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Differing intergenerational birth weights among the descendants of US-born and foreign-born Whites and African Americans in Illinois.

The authors analyzed Illinois vital records to determine the intergenerational birth weight patterns among the descendants of US-born and foreign-born White and African-American women. Among the descendants of the generation 1 US-born White women (n = 91,061), generation 3 females had a birth weight 65 g more than that of their generation 2 mothers (p < 0.0001); generation 3 infants had a 10% lower moderately low birth weight (1,500-2,499 g) rate than did their generation 2 mothers: 5.0% versus 5.5% percent, respectively (relative risk = 0.9, 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 0.9). Among the descendants of generation 1 European-born White women (n = 3,339), generation 3 females had a birth weight 45 g more than that of their generation 2 mothers (p < 0.0001). Among the descendants of generation 1 US-born African-American women (n = 31,699), generation 3 females had a birth weight 17 g more than that of their generation 2 mothers (p < 0.001). Among the descendants of generation 1 African/Caribbean-born women (n = 104), generation 3 females had a birth weight 57 g less than that of their generation 2 mothers; generation 3 females had a 40% greater moderately low birth weight rate than did their generation 2 mothers: 9.6% percent versus 6.7% percent (relative risk = 1.4, 95% confidence interval: 0.6, 3.6). Maternal age and marital status did not account for the birth weight trends. The authors conclude that the expected intergenerational rise in birth weight does not occur among the direct female descendants of foreign-born African-American women.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed2002

Differing postneonatal mortality rates of African-American and white infants in Chicago: an ecologic study.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether neighborhood impoverishment explains the racial disparity in urban postneonatal mortality rates. METHODS: Stratified and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on the vital records of all African-Americans and whites born in Chicago by means of a linked 1992-1995 computerized birth-death file with appended 1990 U.S. census income and 1995 Chicago Department of Public Health data. Four community-level variables (low median family income, high rates of unemployment, homicide, and lead poisoning) were analyzed. Communities with one or more ecologic risk factors were classified as impoverished. RESULTS: The postneonatal mortality rate of African-Americans (N = 104,656) was 7.5/1000 compared to 2.7/1000 for whites (N = 52,954); relative risk (95% confidence interval) equaled 2.8 (2.3-3.3). Seventy-nine percent of African-American infants compared to 9% of white infants resided in impoverished neighborhoods; p < 0.01. In impoverished neighborhoods, the adjusted odds ratio (controlling for infant and maternal individual-level risk factors) of postneonatal mortality for African-American infants equaled 1.5 (0.5-4.2). In nonimpoverished neighborhoods, the adjusted odds ratio of postneonatal mortality for African-American infants equaled 1.8 (1.1-2.9). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that urban African-American infants who reside in nonimpoverished neighborhoods are at high risk for postneonatal mortality.

Black or African American↗