Ethnic differences in infant health.

Ethnic differences in infant healthEthnic minorities are people and communities with distinct national origins, ways of life, languages and/or religions that differ from those of the majority.Although skin colour is not explicit in this definition, the communities on whom attention has focused in terms of their health do not have white skin.On account of their skin colour and culture, black people and ethnic minorities are discriminated against in many areas of social and economic life, directly and indirectly, resulting in restricted opportunities and gen- erally lower socioeconomic status.'In the UK, consistent patterns have emerged in local and national reports of 'ethnic' differences in infant health.Reports of such differentials must, however, be compared and interpreted carefully.Terminology and categories have not always been used consistently, and data have been analysed and interpreted with varying degrees of rigour, insight, and sophistication.Categories and terminology Clarity, specificity, and accuracy are imperative in clinical practice and epidemiology.In the complex area of ethnicity and race relations, it is particularly important to clarify terms.The accuracy and empirical basis of categories used are not always clear.Whereas some studies clearly use