Increased risk for respiratory distress among white, male, late preterm and term infants.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether race/ethnicity and sex independently increase risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in late preterm and term infants.


METHODS
Using a cohort design, we studied the risk of RDS associated with race/ethnicity and sex in infants with gestational age (GA) 34 to 42 weeks born between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2009 (n=286 454) within 12 hospitals in the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program.


RESULTS
Male sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.45 to 1.93) and White race/ethnicity (vs Asians (aOR 0.57; 95% confidence interval 0.47 to 0.70), Blacks (aOR 0.66; 95% confidence interval 0.50 to 0.87), and Hispanics (aOR 0.76; 95% confidence interval 0.64 to 0.90)) independently increase risk for RDS regardless of GA. A GA <39 weeks, operative delivery, maternal diabetes, and chorioamnionitis also increased RDS risk in this cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Male sex and White race/ethnicity independently increase risk for RDS in late preterm and term infants. Timing of elective delivery should acknowledge these risks.
Division of Newborn Medicine, The Edward Mallinckrodt Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MI 63110, USA. anadkat_j@kids.wustl.edu
J S
JS
Anadkat
M W
MW
Kuzniewicz
B P
BP
Chaudhari
F S
FS
Cole
A
A
Hamvas
D015331:Cohort Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People