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Preterm birth in the African-American community
1Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Insights
Preterm birth is a major cause of infant mortality and disparities in the US. More research is needed into social and environmental factors to reduce preterm delivery rates, especially in African-American communities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Perinatal Epidemiology
- Sociomedical Sciences
Background:
- Preterm birth significantly contributes to infant mortality in the US.
- It is the primary driver of mortality differences between African-American and white infants.
- US infant mortality rates are higher than other developed nations, largely due to preterm births.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the significant impact of preterm birth on infant mortality.
- To examine the unexplained excess risk of preterm delivery in the African-American community.
- To identify future research directions for preterm birth prevention.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on preterm birth.
- Analysis of demographic and socioeconomic factors influencing preterm birth rates.
- Identification of knowledge gaps in preterm birth etiology.
Main Results:
- Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and racial disparities.
- Known risk factors do not fully explain the higher preterm birth rates in African-Americans.
- Most of the excess risk for preterm delivery remains unexplained.
Conclusions:
- Understanding preterm delivery is limited, hindering effective prevention.
- Further research should investigate contextual and social determinants.
- Altering social conditions may reduce preterm births in at-risk communities.
Abstract:
Preterm births account for a substantial portion of infant mortality, the major difference in mortality between African-American and white births in the United States, and the key reason that US infant mortality exceeds that of other developed nations. Although preterm birth rates are higher in the African-American community for certain known reasons (proportionately more unwanted conceptions, poorer nutrition, less sufficient prenatal care, and stress-associated behavioral risks), most of the excess risk for preterm delivery remains unexplained. Because preterm delivery is poorly understood in general, prevention strategies are limited. Future research directions should explore contextual and social conditions that might be altered to reduce preterm births in the African-American community.