American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 154, No. 4 : 307-315
Copyright © 2001 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
Trends in Preterm Birth and Neonatal Mortality among Blacks and Whites in the United States from 1989 to 1997
1 Department of Environmental and Community Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ.
2 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ.
3 Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
4 Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
5 Office of Data and Information Management, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, MD.
6 Perinatal Epidemiology Research Unit, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Preterm birth, a major determinant of infant mortality, has been increasing in recent years. The authors examined trends in preterm birth and its determinants by using the US birth and infant death files for 1989–1997. The impact of trends in preterm birth rates on neonatal and infant mortality was also evaluated. Among Whites, preterm births (<37 completed weeks of gestation) increased from 8.8% of livebirths in 1989 to 10.2% in 1997, a relative increase of 15.6%. On the other hand, preterm births among Blacks decreased by 7.6% (from 19.0% to 17.5%) during the same period. An increase in obstetric interventions contributed to increases in preterm births for both races but was outweighed by other unidentified favorable influences for Blacks. Neonatal mortality among preterm Whites dropped 34% during the 8 years of the study, while the decrease was only 24% among Blacks. This large disparity countered the changes in preterm birth rates so that the percentage decline in neonatal mortality was similar in the two racial groups (18–20%). In conclusion, the anticipated mortality benefit from a lower preterm birth rate for Blacks has been blunted by suboptimal improvement in mortality among the remaining preterm infants. The widening race gap in mortality among preterm infants merits attention.
cesarean section; infant mortality; infant, premature; labor, induced; racial stocks
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. Stagnaro-Green Maternal Thyroid Disease and Preterm Delivery J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2009; 94(1): 21 - 25. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P W Jansen, H Tiemeier, V W V Jaddoe, A Hofman, E A P Steegers, F C Verhulst, J P Mackenbach, and H Raat Explaining educational inequalities in preterm birth: the generation r study Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., January 1, 2009; 94(1): F28 - F34. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. R. Velez, S. J. Fortunato, N. Morgan, T. L. Edwards, S. J. Lombardi, S. M. Williams, and R. Menon Patterns of cytokine profiles differ with pregnancy outcome and ethnicity Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2008; 23(8): 1902 - 1909. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D Field, B Bajuk, B N Manktelow, T Vincent, J Dorling, W Tarnow-Mordi, E S Draper, and D H. Smart Geographically based investigation of the influence of very-preterm births on routine mortality statistics from the UK and Australia Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., May 1, 2008; 93(3): F212 - F216. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Matijasevich, C. G. Victora, A. J.D. Barros, I. S. Santos, P. L. Marco, E. P. Albernaz, and F. C. Barros Widening Ethnic Disparities in Infant Mortality in Southern Brazil: Comparison of 3 Birth Cohorts Am J Public Health, April 1, 2008; 98(4): 692 - 698. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. A. Hutcheon and R. W. Platt The Missing Data Problem in Birth Weight Percentiles and Thresholds for "Small-for-Gestational-Age" Am. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2008; 167(7): 786 - 792. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. L. Savage, J. Anthony, R. Lee, M. L. Kappesser, and B. Rose The Culture of Pregnancy and Infant Care in African American Women: An Ethnographic Study J Transcult Nurs, July 1, 2007; 18(3): 215 - 223. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. H. Schempf, A. M. Branum, S. L. Lukacs, and K. C. Schoendorf The Contribution of Preterm Birth to the Black-White Infant Mortality Gap, 1990 and 2000 Am J Public Health, July 1, 2007; 97(7): 1255 - 1260. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Newsham, P. C. Knox, and R. W. I. Cooke Oculomotor Control in Children Who Were Born Very Prematurely Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., June 1, 2007; 48(6): 2595 - 2601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. S Kramer, C. V Ananth, R. W Platt, and K. Joseph US Black vs White disparities in foetal growth: physiological or pathological? Int. J. Epidemiol., October 1, 2006; 35(5): 1187 - 1195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. L. Hoyert, T.J. Mathews, F. Menacker, D. M. Strobino, and B. Guyer Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: 2004 Pediatrics, January 1, 2006; 117(1): 168 - 183. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. B. Morse, S. S. Wu, C. Ma, M. Ariet, M. Resnick, and J. Roth Racial and Gender Differences in the Viability of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants: A Population-Based Study Pediatrics, January 1, 2006; 117(1): e106 - e112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. V. Ananth, S. Liu, W. L. Kinzler, and M. S. Kramer Stillbirths in the United States, 1981-2000: An Age, Period, and Cohort Analysis Am J Public Health, December 1, 2005; 95(12): 2213 - 2217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. T. Merchant, G. Msamanga, E. Villamor, E. Saathoff, M. O'Brien, E. Hertzmark, D. J. Hunter, and W. W. Fawzi Multivitamin Supplementation of HIV-Positive Women during Pregnancy Reduces Hypertension J. Nutr., July 1, 2005; 135(7): 1776 - 1781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. S. Joseph and C. V. Ananth Re: "Preterm Delivery Rates in North Carolina: Are They Really Declining among Non-Hispanic African Americans?" Am. J. Epidemiol., June 15, 2005; 161(12): 1181 - 1181. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. S. Mandell, W. W. Thompson, E. S. Weintraub, F. DeStefano, and M. B. Blank Trends in Diagnosis Rates for Autism and ADHD at Hospital Discharge in the Context of Other Psychiatric Diagnoses Psychiatr Serv, January 1, 2005; 56(1): 56 - 62. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. S. Haas, E. Fuentes-Afflick, A. L. Stewart, R. A. Jackson, M. L. Dean, P. Brawarsky, and G. J. Escobar Prepregnancy Health Status and the Risk of Preterm Delivery Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, January 1, 2005; 159(1): 58 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. L. Goldenberg and J. F. Culhane Prepregnancy Health Status and the Risk of Preterm Delivery Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, January 1, 2005; 159(1): 89 - 90. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R Bell, S V Glinianaia, J Rankin, C Wright, M S Pearce, and L Parker Changing patterns of perinatal death, 1982-2000: a retrospective cohort study Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., November 1, 2004; 89(6): F531 - F536. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. A. Silva, M. A Barbieri, H. Bettiol, M. Z Goldani, and R. J Rona Can we explain why Brazilian babies are becoming lighter? Int. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2004; 33(4): 821 - 828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Vahratian, P. Buekens, T. A. Bennett, R. E. Meyer, M. D. Kogan, and S. M. Yu Preterm Delivery Rates in North Carolina: Are They Really Declining among Non-Hispanic African Americans? Am. J. Epidemiol., January 1, 2004; 159(1): 59 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Arias, M. F. MacDorman, D. M. Strobino, and B. Guyer Annual Summary of Vital Statistics--2002 Pediatrics, December 1, 2003; 112(6): 1215 - 1230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S Dollberg, F B Mimouni, A Lusky, and B Reichman Effect of ethnicity on mortality of very low birthweight infants in Israel Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., July 1, 2003; 88(4): F333 - F338. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. S. Kramer The Epidemiology of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: An Overview J. Nutr., May 1, 2003; 133(5): 1592S - 1596. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. V. Ananth, K. Demissie, M. S. Kramer, and A. M. Vintzileos Small-for-Gestational-Age Births Among Black and White Women: Temporal Trends in the United States Am J Public Health, April 1, 2003; 93(4): 577 - 579. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. R. Alexander, M. D. Kogan, and S. Nabukera Racial Differences in Prenatal Care Use in the United States: Are Disparities Decreasing? Am J Public Health, December 1, 2002; 92(12): 1970 - 1975. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. F. MacDorman, A. M. Minino, D. M. Strobino, and B. Guyer Annual Summary of Vital Statistics--2001 Pediatrics, December 1, 2002; 110(6): 1037 - 1052. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. S. Kramer, S. Liu, Z. Luo, H. Yuan, R. W. Platt, and K. S. Joseph Analysis of Perinatal Mortality and Its Components: Time for a Change? Am. J. Epidemiol., September 15, 2002; 156(6): 493 - 497. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|