Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T10:08:34.268Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Are preterm black infants larger than preterm white infants, or are they more misclassified?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Somsak Suthutvoravut ,
Carol J. R. Hogue ,
Bernard Guyer ,
Marlene Anderka  and
Mark W. Oberle
Somsak Suthutvoravut
Affiliation:
Division of Family Health Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, USA Division of Reproductive Health, Center for Health Promotion and Education, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA
Carol J. R. Hogue
Affiliation:
Division of Reproductive Health, Center for Health Promotion and Education, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA
Bernard Guyer
Affiliation:
Division of Family Health Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, USA
Marlene Anderka
Affiliation:
Division of Family Health Services, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, USA
Mark W. Oberle
Affiliation:
Division of Reproductive Health, Center for Health Promotion and Education, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

In birth certificate data for Massachusetts resident births from 1978 to 1982, 12–27% of births purportedly under 31 weeks of gestation were probably misclassified, i.e. had birthweight ≥2500g. Correcting for maldistribution of births removed 34% and 23%, respectively, of black and white births with reported gestational ages <36 weeks but with implausible weights. Percentages of unknown and incomplete reports of last menstrual period were also significantly higher for blacks. After adjustment, preterm black infants weighed less than whites at each gestational age. The proportion of infants <2500g born at term (≥37 weeks gestation) was higher (although not significantly) among blacks. These findings are consistent with hypotheses that low socioeconomic status negatively affects the rate of intrauterine growth.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , October 1989 , pp. 443 - 452
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Binkin, N. J., Williams, R. L., Hogue, C. J. R. & Chen, P. M. (1985) Reducing black neonatal mortality. Will improvement in birthweight be enough? J. Am. med. Ass. 253, 372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brenner, W. E., Edelman, D. A. & Hendricks, C. H. (1976) A standard of fetal growth for the United States of America. Am. J. Obstet. Gynec. 126, 555.Google Scholar
David, R. J. (1980) The quality and completeness of birthweight and gestational age data in computerized birth files. Am. J. publ. Hlth, 70, 964.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
David, R. J. (1983) Population-based intrauterine growth curves from computerized birth certificates. Southern med. J. 76, 1401.Google Scholar
Freeman, M. G., Graves, W. L. & Thompson, R. L. (1970) Indigent Negro and Caucasian birthweight–gestational age tables. Pediatrics, 46, 9.Google Scholar
Kessel, S. S., Villar, J., Berendes, H. W. & Nugent, R. P. (1984) The changing p“attern of low birthweight in the United States. J. Am. med. Ass. 251, 1978.Google Scholar
Naeye, R. L. & Dixon, J. B. (1978) Distortions in fetal growth standards. Pediatr. Res. 12, 987.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pettersson, F., Fries, H. & Nillius, S. J. (1973) Epidemiology of secondary amenorrhea. I. Incidence and prevalence rates. Am. J. Obstet. Gynec. 117, 80.Google Scholar
Speert, H. & Guttmacher, A. F. (1954) Frequency and significance of bleeding in early pregnancy. J. Am. med. Ass. 155, 712.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Starfield, B., Shapiro, S., McCormick, M. & Bross, D. (1982) Mortality and morbidity in infants with intrauterine growth retardation. J. Pediatr. 101, 978.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taffel, S. (1980) Factors Associated with Low Birthweight, United States, 1976. National Center for Health Statistics, Series 21, No. 37. US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare Publication 80–1915. Public Health Service, Office of Health Research, Statistics, and Technology, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Taffel, S., Johnson, D. & Heuser, R. (1982) A Method of Imputing Length of Gestation on Birth Certificates. National Center for Health Statistics, Vital and Health Statistics, Series 2, No. 93. DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 82–1367. Public Health Service, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Villar, J. & Belizan, J. M. (1982) The relative contribution of prematurity and fetal growth retardation to low birthweight in developing and developed societies. Am. J. Obstet. Gynec. 143, 793.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, R. L., Creasy, R. K., Cunningham, G. C., Hawes, W. E., Norris, F. D. & Tashiro, M.(1982) Fetal growth and perinatal viability in California. Obstet. Gynec. 59, 624.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1950) Report on the Second Session of the Expert Committee on Health Statistics. WHO Technical Report Series, No. 25, Geneva.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1961) Third Report of the Expert Committee on Maternal and Child Health. WHO Technical Report Series, No. 217, Geneva.Google Scholar