Perinatal outcomes among Asian–white interracial couples

Objective

To investigate whether perinatal outcomes among interracial Asian-white couples are different than among Asian-Asian and white-white couples.

Study Design

This was a retrospective study of Asian, white, and Asian-white couples delivered at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital from 2000-2005. Asian-white couples were subdivided into white-mother/Asian-father or Asian-mother/white-father. Perinatal outcomes included gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm delivery, birth weight >4000 g and <2500 g, and cesarean delivery.

Results

In the study population of 868 Asian-white, 3226 Asian, and 5575 white couples there were significant outcome differences. Compared with white couples, Asian-white couples had an increased incidence of gestational diabetes (aOR 2.4 for white-mother/Asian-father and aOR 2.6 for Asian-mother/white-father), though not as high as Asian couples (aOR 4.7). Asian-white couples had larger babies (median 3360 g for Asian-mother/white-father and 3320 g for white-mother/Asian-father vs 3210 g for Asian, P < .001), but only Asian-mother/white-father couples had an increased rate of cesarean delivery (aOR 1.3-2.0).

Conclusion

Significant differences in perinatal outcomes exist between Asian, white, and interracial Asian-white couples.

Key words: Asian, white, interracial Asian-white, perinatal outcomes