THE EFFECT OF USING RACE OF CHILD INSTEAD OF RACE OF MOTHER ON THE BLACK-WHITE GAP IN INFANT-MORTALITY DUE TO BIRTH-DEFECTS

Objective. For at least 20 years, birth defects have been the leading cause of infant mortality in the United Stares, Some studies have repo rted higher rates for black infants than white infants of mortality du e to birth defects, while other studies have reported no black-white d ifferences, The authors analyzed the effect on these rates of a change in the way the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) tabulates ''race'' for newborns, Methods. The authors calculated infant mortali ty rates due to birth defects for 1980-1993 using two standard methods of assigning newborns to ''racial'' categories: a ''race of child'' a lgorithm and the ''race of mother'' approach currently used by NCHS. R esults, From 1980 through 1993, birth defect-specific infant mortality rates (BD-IMRs) were significantly higher for black infants than whit e infants 12 of the 14 years by ''race of mother'' and only 5 of 14 ye ars by ''race of child.'' Calculation of BD-IMRs by ''race of mother'' reduced the rate for white infants and increased the rate for black i nfants in each of the 14 years, The choice of method for assigning new borns to ''racial'' categories had a progressively greater effect over time on the black-white gap in BD-IMRs, Conclusions. Calculations of trends in ''race''-specific BD-IMRs by may vary substantially by wheth er ''race of mother'' or ''race of child'' is used, Identifying the me thod of tabulation is imperative for appropriate comparisons and inter pretations.