The association between maternal stature and adverse birth outcomes and the modifying effect of race and ethnicity: a population-based retrospective cohort study

There are known differences in the risk of perinatal and maternal birth outcomes because of maternal factors, such as body mass index and maternal race. However, the association of maternal height with adverse birth outcomes and the potential differences in this relationship by race and ethnicity have been understudied. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal stature and adverse perinatal outcomes and the potential modification of the association by race and ethnicity. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using data on all singleton births in the United States in 2016 and 2017 (N=7,361,713) obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. Short and tall stature were defined as 90th percentiles of the maternal height distribution (172.7 cm, respectively). Race and ethnicity categories included non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic. The primary outcomes were preterm birth (