Immigrant Health Advantage? The Birth Outcomes of U.S.-Born Women in Mexico and Mexican-Origin Women in the United States

Abstract

The migration of Mexican immigrants and their U.S.-born children from the United States to Mexico raises questions about the health of American citizens transitioning into adulthood in Mexico. Combining data from Mexican and U.S. birth records from 2015 to 2019, we analyzed the health of 12,373 infants born to U.S.-born women delivering in Mexico and compared them to infants born to Mexican-born women in Mexico, Mexican-born women in the United States, and U.S.-born women of Mexican origin in the United States. Contrary to the immigrant health advantage in the United States, we found an infant health disadvantage for U.S.-born immigrants in Mexico. U.S.-born mothers in Mexico were younger and had lower rates of health insurance coverage, but these differences did not account for their higher likelihood of adverse infant health outcomes.