Differences in Neonatal Mortality Among Whites and Asian American Subgroups: Evidence From California

OBJECTIVE: To obtain information about health outcomes in neonates in 9 subgroups of the Asian population in the United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparison of outcomes for births to mothers of Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Thai, and Vietnamese origin and for births to non-Hispanic white mothers. Regression models were used to compare neonatal mortality across groups before and after controlling for various risk factors. SETTING: All California births between January 1,1991, and December 31, 2001. PARTICIPANTS: More than 2.3 million newborn infants. MAIN EXPOSURE: Racial and ethnic groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Neonatal mortality (death within 28 days of birth). RESULTS: The unadjusted mortality rate for births to non-Hispanic white mothers was 2.0 per 1000. The unadjusted mortality rate for births to Chinese and Japanese mothers was significantly lower (Chinese: 1.2 per 1000, P