Preterm Labor Specialists Portland ME
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When the Bough Breaks
June 17, 2010 When the Bough Breaks by Willette FrancisInfant mortality rates confirm that many African-American babies aren’t seeing their first birthdays. Despite marked health improvements in the black community, the infant mortality rate remains a problem. African-American babies are 2.5 times more likely to die at birth than white babies. And the latest rates show almost 14 black women’s babies die for every 1,000 African-American infants born alive in the United States compared with about 7 Caucasian babies dying per 1,000 live births of white infants nationwide.While research hasn’t produced all the answers yet, Phyllis Dennery, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and chief of neonatology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, believes that the culprit may be the prevalence of low birth weight babies. “There is a four-fold increase in the number of low birth weight babies born to African-American mothers [as compared with infants born to white mothers],” Dennery says. “Low birth weight and preterm babies are predisposed to a higher mortality, and that’s what’s resulting in a fair amount of infants dying,” Dennery explains. “These conditions make infants more likely to have complications in their early life.” And these complications can lead to death. Preterm labor or delivery occurring before the 37th week of pregnancy causes babies to have low birth weight. Women most at risk of having low birth weight babies include those who’ve previously had a premature baby, are pregnant with more than one child or have abnormalities of the uterus or cervix. Babies born preterm, depending on how early they are born, can experience complications such as vision problems, breathing difficulties, intestinal problems and development delays. And while the high rates of obesity and diabetes in the African-American community may play a role in black women’s poorer birth outcomes, Dennery says that if they were corrected—and even if the issues of maternal health and black education disparities were also addressed—black moms would still remain vulnerable. “For example, among African Americans who a have higher socioeconomic status [and education] than whites, there are still more complications and risk [of having preterm, low-weight babies],” Dennery says, adding that “it’s not exactly clear what makes for that difference.” One explanation researchers have explored, however, is maternal stress. Chronic stress from the discrimination that African Americans experience and financial or on-the-job problems can take a toll on a mother’s body, Dennery says, which may also affect children in the womb. But there is good news. Although African-American women may not be able to control some of these stressors, expectant mothers can take steps to increase their unborn children’s ... |
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