Birthweight differences among infants of North African immigrants and Belgians in Belgium.

BACKGROUND Infants of North African immigrants are reported to have higher birthweights than their Belgian counterparts. It is unclear what mechanism contributes to this difference. METHODS Analyses were based on a hospital-based cohort of 1,162 women. RESULTS Infants of North African immigrants were less likely to be born preterm, compared to infants of Belgian women. After adjusting for sociodemographic and maternal factors, the estimated difference in mean birthweight was 74 g (p=0.05). When limited to term births, this difference was 28 g (p=0.42). CONCLUSION The difference in mean birthweight between North African and Belgian infants was explained by differences in preterm birth and other risk factors.