Birth weights of infants of black and white mothers without pregnancy complications

Hulsey, Thomas C.; Levkoff, Abner H.; Alexander, Greg R.

doi:10.1016/0002-9378(91)90703-t

Cited by 34 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…8,9 This has led some investigators to suggest that the differences have a genetic basis. [11][12][13][14] Our findings challenge the genetic concept of race as it relates to birth weight. The African-born women in our study were new immigrants from the same region from which the ancestors of most U.S. blacks came, but without the estimated 20 to 30 percent admixture of European genetic material that has occurred since the mid-17th century.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…1,4 This has led some investigators to believe that genetic factors associated with race influence birth weight. [10][11][12][13][14][15] In the 1967 National Collaborative Perinatal Project, only 1 percent of the total variance in birth weight among 18,000 infants was accounted for by socioeconomic variables, leading the authors to conclude that "race behaves as a real biological variable in its effect on birth weight. This effect of race [is] presumably genetic."…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This effect of race [is] presumably genetic." 10 The assumption that black women differ genetically from white women in their ability to bear normal or large infants persists in more recent studies of fetal growth, 13,16 one of which, for example, refers to "genetic factors affecting growth, such as neonatal sex and race." 16 Few data have been published on the birth weights of infants born to African-born women in the United States.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differing Birth Weight among Infants of U.S.-Born Blacks, African-Born Blacks, and U.S.-Born Whites

David

Collins²

1997

N Engl J Med

428

235

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Differing Birth Weight among Infants of U.S.-Born Blacks, African-Born Blacks, and U.S.-Born Whites

David

Collins²

1997

N Engl J Med

428

235

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“… 28 , 30 , 31 , 33 –37 However, the prevalence of risk factors for adverse birth outcomes, such as maternal illness, poverty, tobacco use and level of prenatal care utilisation, differs markedly among race groups 38 –41 . Thus, it has been difficult to determine to what extent all or part of the observed racial variation in birthweight for gestational age is attributable to covariation in associated risk factors 42 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Racial differences in birthweight for gestational age and infant mortality in extremely‐low‐risk US populations

Alexander

Kogan

Himes

et al. 1999

Paediatric Perinatal Epid

127

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Using national data, we develop and contrast the birth-weight percentiles for gestational age by infants of extremely-low-risk (ELR) White and African-American women and examine racial differences in the proportion of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births. We then scrutinise racial variations in infant mortality rates of the infants of ELR women. We further compare the infant mortality rates of infants at or below the 10th percentile of birthweight for gestational age of each race group to determine whether infants with similar restricted fetal growth have comparable risks of subsequent mortality. Single live births, 34-42 weeks' gestation, to White and African-American US-resident mothers were selected from the 1990-91 US Linked Live Birth--Infant Death File (n = 4,360,829). Extremely-low-risk mothers were defined as: married, aged 20-34 years, 13+ years of education, multiparae, with average parity for age, adequate prenatal care, vaginal delivery, and no reports of medical risk factors, tobacco use or alcohol use during pregnancy. Marked racial variation in birthweight percentiles by gestational age was evident. Compared with ELR White mothers, the risk of an SGA infant was 2.64 times greater for ELR African-American mothers and the risk of infant mortality was 1.61 times greater. For the ELR group, the infant mortality rates of African-American and White infants at or below the 10th percentile of birthweight for gestational age of their respective maternal race group were essentially identical after controlling for gestational age. In conclusion, race differences in fetal growth patterns remained after controlling for risk status. Efforts to remove racial disparities in infant mortality will need to develop aetiological pathways that can explain why African-Americans have relatively higher rates of preterm birth and higher infant mortality rates among term and non-SGA infants.

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“…This failure of sociodemographic factors to account fully for the disparity in gestation length between blacks and whites has engendered speculation that genetic differences underlie the racial/ethnic gap 11 –14 . However, this notion is powerfully challenged by the widely observed ‘paradox’ that recently immigrated women bear infants of higher birthweight than do women of the same race/ethnicity who were born and raised in the US, despite their frequently lower socio‐economic position 15 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal experiences of racism and violence as predictors of preterm birth: rationale and study design

Rich‐Edwards

Krieger

Majzoub

et al. 2001

Paediatric Perinatal Epid

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Chronic psychological stress may raise the risk of preterm delivery by raising levels of placental corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH). Women who have been the targets of racism or personal violence may be at particularly high risk of preterm delivery. The aims of this study are to examine the extent to which: (1) maternal experiences of racism or violence in childhood, adulthood, or pregnancy are associated with the risk of preterm birth; (2) CRH levels are prospectively associated with risk of preterm birth; and (3) CRH levels are associated with past and current maternal experiences of racism or violence. We have begun to examine these questions among women enrolled in Project Viva, a Boston‐based longitudinal study of 6000 pregnant women and their children.

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Birth weights of infants of black and white mothers without pregnancy complications

Cited by 34 publications

References 4 publications

Differing Birth Weight among Infants of U.S.-Born Blacks, African-Born Blacks, and U.S.-Born Whites

Differing Birth Weight among Infants of U.S.-Born Blacks, African-Born Blacks, and U.S.-Born Whites

Racial differences in birthweight for gestational age and infant mortality in extremely‐low‐risk US populations

Maternal experiences of racism and violence as predictors of preterm birth: rationale and study design

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