Indochinese refugee fertility rates and pregnancy risk factors, Oregon.

Abstract

Matching 471 Oregon birth certificates with official Indochinese arrival lists reveals a fertility rate of 126.7, 1.8 times the US rate of 68.5. Greater maternal and infant risk rates were noted, particularly for Hmong. Data indicate improvements in obtaining prenatal care and in reducing the number of low birth weight infants for refugees who have resided in the US three or more months: however, the improvements appear to be reversed after 12 months of US residency.