The Impact of Migration on Pregnancy Outcomes Among Mexican-Origin Women

To examine the association between individual-level and state-level migration status in the United States (US) and the risk of preterm and low birth weight infants among Mexican-origin women. We performed secondary analysis of the 2003 US birth certificate data for 641,474 infants born to Mexican-origin Latina women. The dependent variables were prematurity and low birth weight. The primary independent variables were individual- (maternal) and state-level migration status. Logistic regression analysis estimated the relationship between maternal and state-level migration status, maternal and infant factors, and the risk of prematurity and low birth weight. Women who were born in Mexico had less education and use of prenatal care than US-born, Mexican-origin women but also fewer preterm or low birth weight infants. After adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics, women who were born and resided in Mexico at delivery were 37–64 % less likely to deliver preterm or low birth weight infants, and women who were born in Mexico and resided in the US had a 20–21 % lower risk as compared to women who were born and resided in the same US state. Women who delivered in states with a higher proportion of Mexican-origin mothers were slightly more likely to deliver a preterm infant and slightly less likely to give birth to a low birth weight infant. These findings support the perinatal advantage of Mexican-born women and provide evidence that both individual- as well as state-level migration factors influence perinatal outcomes.