Preterm delivery among women in the South Carolina Medicaid High Risk Channeling Project

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of various demographic characteristics, medical risks, and prenatal interventions with birth outcomes of women in the South Carolina Medicaid High Risk Channeling Project. The study population consisted of 5,012 mothers who delivered between January 1989 and June 1991; each was matched with her infant. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios for the independent effects of various maternal factors on gestational age. Analyses of preterm delivery indicated that high-risk African American women were 60 percent more likely to deliver a preterm baby than high-risk White women. The mean gestational age was 37.3 weeks for African American newborns and 38.2 weeks for White newborns. Prenatal nutritional education had a significantly positive association with gestational duration. This study confirms that high-risk African American women are more likely than high-risk White women to experience a preterm delivery. Further research is needed regarding the positive association between prenatal nutrition education and the prevention of preterm deliveries.