WEDNESDAY, Aug 25, 2021 (HealthDay News) – All births are not created equal, new US studies show: Differences in the quality of hospital care contribute to a higher likelihood of complications in black and Hispanic newborns compared to white and Asian infants .
Analysis of more than 480,000 live births by deadline (at least 37 weeks gestation) in New York City from 2010 to 2014 found that the overall rate of unexpected complications was 48 per 1,000 births.
The rates were higher in black (about 72 per 1,000) and Hispanic (54 per 1,000) newborns than in white (about 35 per 1,000) and Asian (about 36 per 1,000) newborns, the investigators found.
Compared to white infants, the risk was about twice as high in black infants and about 1.5 times higher in Hispanic infants.
Black and Hispanic women tended to give birth in substandard hospitals than white women, according to the study published in the August issue of Pediatrics.
The researchers also found that just over 33% of black women and 34% of Hispanic women gave birth in the top third of newborn problems in hospitals, compared with 10% of white and Asian women.
“Deadline births make up the vast majority of deliveries and minimize potentially avoidable” [illness] would have a significant impact on the population, “said Kimberly Glazer, senior researcher, assistant professor of Population Health Science and Policy and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine on Mount Sinai, New York City.
“By identifying differences between otherwise healthy, low-risk infants, we emphasize patient safety and quality improvement – with the goal of routine obstetrics and neonatal care – as a critical but underutilized approach to reducing inequality,” Glazer said in a press release dated Mount Sinai.
More than 90% of births are on time, and most have a relatively low risk of complications, according to the study authors. However, babies on time can experience significant complications – such as severe infection, shock, organ failure, and shortness of breath – that can seriously affect their immediate and long-term well-being.
More information
The US National Library of Medicine describes common newborn problems.
SOURCE: Mount Sinai, press release, August 24, 2021
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