A very unscientific statement

There is an article in today's Miami Herald stating the large racial disparities in infant death statitstics. Black babies by far the most common to die before age 1 per every 1,000 births.

• Statewide, the infant mortality rate was 4.1 per thousand among Hispanics, 5.5 among whites and 13.0 among blacks.

• In Miami-Dade County, the rate was 2.9 for Hispanics, 4.1 for whites and 8.5 for blacks.

• Broward's rates were were 3.0 for Hispanics, 4.0 for whites and 9.0 for blacks.

Now the article goes on to say that the high rate for black babies is probably connected to poverty. I wouldn't doubt it. The interesting part of this article at least to me, is the reasoning for the low Hispanic rate.

Lower rates among Hispanics may result partly from the ''healthy immigrant effect'': Women who are healthy, and therefore more likely to have healthy babies, are more likely to have the wherewithal to immigrate, according to Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health who has studied low birth weight among Hispanic babies.

Some studies have also suggested that strong social ties in many Hispanic communities may reduce maternal stress and create healthier mothers and babies.

''There is this unexpected, unexplained protective effect of being a Latina woman -- especially if you're an immigrant,'' Acevedo-Garcia said.

I just find that statement from Ms. Acevedo-Garcia amusing. You would think a Harvard based epidemiologist could produce something more scientific. Then maybe there is no scientific explanation. There isn't necessarily an explanation for every event.

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