title: Fetal mortality: timing of racial disparities.
abstract: Whether or not racial disparities exist in fetal mortality rate (FMR) statistics depends upon the methodology used to calculate the rates. While there appears to be consensus that there is a black-white disparity in late gestation (> or = 28 weeks), the issue is unclear for early gestation (20-27 weeks). To clarify this issue, we assessed disparities in FMR for singleton fetal deaths and live births between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites in three counties of Missouri using gestational age- and weight-specific analyses. These analyses demonstrated statistically significant disparities for non-Hispanic whites when fetal deaths occurred < 28 weeks gestation and also at weights < 1,000 g. Statistically significant disparities for non-Hispanic blacks were not evident until gestation was > or = 32 weeks or weights were > or = 2,500 g. The results of these analyses were consistent with each other and suggest that the non-Hispanic black disparity in FMR is a late gestational issue. The lack of disparity for non-Hispanic blacks and the disparity for non-Hispanic whites during earlier gestation or with low weights were associated with the disparate rates for very preterm live birth.
authors.affiliation: Office of Epidemiology and Community Health Monitoring, Kansas City Health Department, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA.
authors.forename: Jinwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Gerald L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hoff
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Okah
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dew
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaborac
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Somoza
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Livingston
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Everhardt
authors.forename: Rex
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Archer
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008923:Missouri; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000208:ethnology*; D044469:Racial Groups; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People