Preterm Birth Essay

Introduction
Preterm birth (PTB), or the delivery of an infant before 37 weeks of gestation, is associated with about two-thirds of all infant deaths, deeming it the number one cause of infant mortality within the first year of life. (ACOG) PTB also influences an infant’s overall health, as preterm infants have a much greater risk of long-term morbidity than term infants (37-41 weeks gestation), including health complications such as low birth weight, developmental delays, and increased susceptibility to life-threatening infections. (MacDorman) In 2015, the United States (U.S.) estimated about 380,000 babies born prematurely, (March of Dimes, 2015) ranking it near the bottom of most standard measures of perinatal health among developed nations. (OECD health data) As a result, national efforts have been made, by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and March of Dimes, respectively, to address and prioritize the growing public health concern. Technological advances in perinatology, as well as an increase in access to prenatal care, have made contributions to the overall decline in rates of infant mortality and PTB. (LU 2010). Despite these efforts, …show more content…
(Culhane) In fact, there exists a widening gap in Black-White neonatal birth disparities, causing increased national concern and attention to this issue. (Culhane) For decades, public health efforts have been made seeking to eliminate these racial disparities; however, Black infants remain twice as likely to die in infancy as compared to White infants, with a substantial portion of the disparity being attributable to the estimated two-fold increased rates of PTB, and the three-fold increased rates of very preterm births among Black infants. (Lu- Approach) The PTB rate disparity also varies by maternal race/ethnicity, with Black mothers being twice as likely as white mothers to deliver preterm infants.

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