Race Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Black Age group 12–17 years 18–19 years 20–35 years 12–17 years 18–19 years 20–35 years 5.3 3.7 3.2 10.4 9.0 7.3 cOR = crude odds ratio, CI = confidence intervals Table 3: Logistic regression models: effect of maternal age on infant mortality. Maternal Age (years) 12–17 18–19 20–34 Non-Hispanic black Age-inappropriate educational Level Unmarried Nulliparous Tobacco Use Kotelchuck Index Unknown Inadequate Adequate Adequate Plus Poverty Status Poorest * Poor ** Other aOR 1.43 1.15 1.00 2.08 1.39 1.50 1.00 1.49 4.04 1.98 1.00 2.89 0.36 0.45 1.00 1.63 (1.02, 2.47) 1.14 (0.79, 1.64) reference 1.41 (0.84, 2.39) 1.23 (0.74, 2.04) reference 4.4 3.0 1.7 7.0 5.0 4.3 95% CI 0.98, 2.08 0.83, 1.60 reference 1.56, 2.78 1.01, 1.90 1.06, 2.14 0.99, 1.02 1.10, 2.01 2.53, 6.45 1.36, 2.88 reference 2.17, 3.85 0.25, 0.53 0.33, 0.62 reference BMC Public Health 2005, 5:79 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/5/79 Table 2: Infant, neonatal and post-neonatal mortality risk by age group, stratified by race Neonatal mortality Post-neonatal mortality Rate (per 1000 births) cOR (95% CI) Rate (per 1000 births) cOR (95% CI) cOR = crude odds ratio, aOR = adjusted odds ratio, CI = confidence intervals * defined as participation in food stamps ** defined as participation in WIC or Medicaid but not food stamps Overall, infants born of the youngest mothers (12 to 17 years) were 1.69 (CI 1.24, 2.31) times more likely to die during the neonatal period and 2.47 (CI 1.70, 3.59) times more likely during the post-neonatal period compared to older mothers Table 2 illustrates the risk of neonatal mor- tality and post-neonatal mortality for the adolescent age cohorts compared to older mothers, stratified by race. There is an increased risk of infant (9.7 deaths/1000 live births; OR 1.95, CI 1.42, 2.67), neonatal (5.3 deaths/1000 live births; 1.63, CI 1.02, 2.47) and post-neonatal mortal- ity (4.4 deaths/1000 live births; OR 2.58, CI 1.56, 4.24) for the 12–17 year old non-Hispanic white mothers com- pared to older mothers (5.0, 3.2 and 1.7 infant, neonatal and post-neonatal deaths/1000 live births respectively). Among non-Hispanic white mothers 18–19 years of age, there is an increased risk of infant (6.7 deaths/1000 live births; OR 1.35, CI 1.02, 1.79) and post-neonatal (3.0 deaths/1000 live births; OR 1.75, CI 1.11, 2.75) mortality, but not neonatal mortality (3.7 deaths/1000 live births; OR 1.14, CI 0.79, 1.64). No association between age and infant, neonatal or post-neonatal mortality was seen for non-Hispanic black mothers. However, the crude rates of infant, neonatal and post-neonatal mortality for non-His- panic black mothers were approximately twice those for non-Hispanic white mothers across all age groups. Page 4 of 7 (page number not for citation purposes) Neonatal Mortality Post-Neonatal Mortality aOR 1.73 1.04 1.00 1.45 1.73 1.25 1.01 1.26 0.88 1.58 1.00 1.89 2.29 1.60 1.00 2.58 (1.56, 4.24) 1.75 (1.11, 2.75) reference 1.63 (0.84,3.19) 1.15 (0.59, 2.26) reference 95% CI 1.14, 2.64 0.71, 1.53 reference 1.02, 2.04 1.23, 2.44 0.83, 1.88 0.99, 1.03 0.89, 1.79 0.35, 2.21 1.05, 2.39 reference 1.35, 2.66 1.36, 3.86 0.98, 2.61 reference