Abstract

This article examines ethnic differences in cause-specific infant mortality, using linked birth and infant death records from a cohort of New Mexican singleton infants, 1980–1983. The research, which applies log-linear analysis, focuses on the combined influences of ethnicity, birth weight, maternal age, and plurality on birth outcomes—that is, on infant survival and deaths due to perinatal, congenital, and respiratory diseases and to sudden infant death syndrome. The results confirm the pronounced impact of birth weight on infant mortality and identify similarities and differences among Anglo, Hispanic, and American Indian babies with respect to causespecific infant mortality.

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