Distributions of Adverse Childbearing Experiences Across Racial and Ethnic Groups: A Research Note

Adverse childbearing experiences, such as preterm births and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays, are especially prevalent among Black and Hispanic pregnant people. In this research note, we provide a novel way of considering racial and ethnic patterns regarding adverse childbearing experiences by analyzing the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79; N = 3,637). We use latent class analysis to identify four specific classes of adverse experiences that are unequally distributed within and across racial and ethnic groups. These four classes-Minimal Complications, High Childbearing Complications, Complex Gestation, and Increased Medicalized Interventions-represent unique types of reproductive health outcomes and interactions within the reproductive health care system. Distributions across these classes reveal which racial and ethnic groups are most at risk for multiple pregnancy and gestational complications (e.g., late pregnancy losses, closely spaced births), highly medicalized childbearing experiences (e.g., C-sections, NICU stays), and a broad constellation of adverse childbearing-related outcomes. Our research note draws attention to how specific childbearing experiences cluster together, reflecting broader racial and ethnic structures and potentially mattering for future health and well-being outcomes.