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Anemia and spontaneous preterm birth
M A Klebanoff1, P H Shiono, J V Selby
1Division of Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Anemia during pregnancy is linked to spontaneous preterm birth. However, this condition does not explain the significant ethnic disparities observed in preterm birth rates.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Hematology
Background:
- Anemia during pregnancy is a common complication.
- Spontaneous preterm birth remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality.
- Ethnic variations in preterm birth rates are well-documented but not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between anemia in pregnancy and spontaneous preterm birth.
- To explore whether anemia explains ethnic differences in preterm birth.
Main Methods:
- A two-stage case-control design was employed within a large, multiethnic cohort of 26,901 women.
- Hematologic measurements, including hematocrit, were abstracted from prenatal and delivery records of 1706 women.
- Anemia was defined as a hematocrit value below the tenth percentile for ethnic group and gestational duration.
Main Results:
- Anemia during the second trimester was positively associated with spontaneous preterm birth (odds ratio, 1.9).
- Mean hematocrit values were consistently lower in Black women compared to Asian, Mexican, and White women.
- While anemia was linked to preterm birth, it did not account for the substantial ethnic differences in preterm birth rates.
Conclusions:
- Second-trimester anemia is a significant risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth.
- Anemia does not explain the observed ethnic disparities in preterm birth.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the factors contributing to ethnic differences in preterm birth.