Demographics of African‐American vs. European‐Heritage Mothers of Newborns With Down Syndrome

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Abstract  Although important for public health policy, ethnic/racial disparities have rarely been examined among families of young children with Down syndrome. This study compared 144 African‐American mothers with 726 European‐heritage mothers of newborns with Down syndrome using official birth records in one American state from 1990 through 2002; outcome measures included maternal age at infant's birth, education levels, marital status, and neighborhood median family income. Compared with European‐heritage mothers, African‐American mothers of newborns with Down syndrome were of lower socioeconomic levels and were younger, with many more African‐American (vs. European‐heritage) mothers giving birth at 23 years or younger (37.5 vs. 22.8%). In both groups, the young mothers (i.e., ≤23 years) showed the highest percentages of women who had not graduated high school and who were unmarried. As one of few studies focusing on ethnic‐racial issues in Down syndrome, this study spotlights the characteristics and needs of some of this syndrome's subgroups.

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