Why Are African-American Women Twice As Likely to Have a Premature Baby?

March of Dimes Says Research is the Answer

NEW YORK CITY, OCT. 22, 2004 – No one knows why African-American women go into labor three or more weeks early, more often than babies of any other race or ethnicity, according to the March of Dimes.

"This is not only a socio-economic problem; a woman can do everything right and still have a premature child,'' said Dr. Diane Ashton, associate medical director, March of Dimes.  "We need to find out why this happens and what we can do to ensure that African-American babies are carried full-term and born healthy. 

Dr. Ashton made her remarks at a media roundtable discussion on Friday afternoon at the W Hotel in New York City.
About 100,000 African-American newborns in the U.S. are affected each year by this common, costly and serious problem, according to Dr. Ashton, and many of these babies suffer life-long health consequences, from mental retardation and cerebral palsy to lung, auditory and sight problems.  In some cases, the baby does not survive.

In her presentation, Dr. Ashton said there are several reasons for disparities between African-American women and other groups, including “differences in the quality of care received within the health care delivery system; differences in access to health care including preventive and curative services; and differences in social, political, economic or environmental exposures which result in differences in underlying health status.''

In addition, Dr. Ashton said “racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes are the consequences of disadvantages and inequities carried over a life course of differential exposures'' and that “research needs to examine differential risk exposures not only during pregnancy, but over the life course.''

She cited racial disparities among African-American women, the current trends and risk factors associated with prematurity, and then reviewed the March of Dimes goals and aims for its five-year, $75 million national campaign against this growing public health concern.

In addition, Dorenda Washington, March of Dimes 2001/02 National Ambassador Mother, American Airlines executive, and Miami resident, shared her moving story of giving birth prematurely to her son, Justin, who was only 1 pound, 8 ½ ounces when he arrived 10 years ago.

Ms. Washington spoke of her travels across the country with her husband, Kraig, and Justin, discussing her son's inspirational story of struggle, determination and hope. Because his lungs were underdeveloped, Justin at birth was placed on a ventilator to help him breathe and given surfactant therapy, developed in part by the March of Dimes.  Justin spent four months in the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before he could go home. Today, several surgeries later, Justin is an active, healthy ten-year-old who likes to skate and watch movies.