Analysis of State-Level Immigrant Policies and Preterm Births by Race/Ethnicity Among Women Born in the U.S. and Women Born Outside the U.S. (JAMA Network Open)

​Summary: Criminalizing immigrant policies, a form of structural racism, are associated with preterm birth; however, to date, few population studies have examined this association by race and nativity status or examined the association of inclusive immigrant policies with preterm birth. Authors assess the extent to which variation in preterm birth by race/ethnicity and nativity status is associated with state-level criminalizing vs. inclusive immigrant policies.

Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 3,455,514 live births in 2018, criminalizing immigrant policies were associated with higher rates of preterm birth for Black women born outside the U.S., while inclusive immigrant policies were associated with lower preterm birth for all women born outside the U.S., particularly white women born outside the U.S.

This study suggests that criminalizing immigrant policies are associated with an increase in preterm birth specifically for Black women born outside the US. Inclusive immigrant policies are associated with a decrease in preterm birth for immigrants overall, Asian women born in the US, and white women born outside the US. No associations were found between criminalizing or inclusive immigrant policies and preterm birth among Latina women.

Read the Publication:

• Journal Article: Analysis of State-Level Immigrant Policies and Preterm Births by Race/Ethnicity Among Women Born in the US and Women Born Outside the U.S.