Cities May Influence Preterm Birth Risk

Very preterm birth – prior to 32 weeks gestation – is one of the greatest risk factors for cerebral palsy, and a new study suggests that the area where a pregnant woman lives may influence her risk of delivering preterm.

Black Women Face Greater Risk

Researchers looked at preterm birth rates among black, white and Hispanic women in 168 metropolitan areas in the U.S. with the goal of determining whether factors like city size and region have an effect on these rates.

The findings, published in the current issue of Public Health Reports, suggest that where a woman lives does influence her risk of very preterm delivery. Furthermore, the research showed that in each city, the risk for black women was two to three times what it was for white women.

A Clue for Reducing the Risk

Researchers have been aware of racial disparities in very preterm birth rates for decades but have not been able to fully explain the increased risk for black women. Now, researchers have a new possibility to consider in their attempts to understand and reduce women’s risk for very preterm birth: residential area.