Stillbirth Rates among Haitians in Canada

BACKGROUND: Data on cultural groups at risk of stillbirth in high-income countries are scarce. We sought to determine disparities in stillbirth by gestational age for Haitian vs. non-Haitian Canadians. METHODS: We used data on 10,287 stillbirths and 2,482,364 livebirths from 1981-2010 in the province of Quebec, Canada. Stillbirth rates for Haitians were compared with non-Haitians using fetuses at risk denominators, and Cox proportional hazards regression models with gestational age as the time scale. RESULTS: Stillbirth rates were much higher for Haitians than non-Haitians during the study period (7.2 vs. 3.9 per 1000 total births). Disparities between Haitians and non-Haitians were largest at 32-36 weeks of gestation [hazard ratio 2.22, 95% confidence interval 1.61, 3.07]. CONCLUSIONS: Stillbirth rates in Haitian Canadians giving birth in Quebec are exceptionally high. Disparities were greatest during the late preterm period.