Black Race Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To use a large current prospective cohort of infants <29 weeks to compare bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) rates in black and white infants. STUDY DESIGN: The Prematurity and Respiratory Outcome Program (PROP) enrolled 835 infants born in 2011-2013 at <29 weeks of gestation; 728 black or white infants survived to 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Logistic regression was used to compare BPD outcomes (defined as supplemental oxygen requirement at 36 weeks PMA) between the races, adjusted for gestational age (GA), antenatal steroid use, intubation at birth, and surfactant use at birth. RESULTS: Of 707 black or white infants with available BPD outcomes, BPD was lower in black infants (38% vs 45%), even though they were of significantly lower GA. At every GA, BPD was more common in white infants. The aOR for BPD was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.42-0.85; P = .004) for black infants compared with white infants after adjusting for GA. Despite the lower rate of BPD, black infants had a higher rate of first-year post-prematurity respiratory disease (black, 79%; white, 63%). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of recently born preterm infants at <29 weeks GA, compared with white infants, black infants had a lower risk of BPD but an increased risk of persistent respiratory morbidity.

Maternal Black Race and Persistent Wheezing Illness in Former Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between maternal self-reported race/ethnicity and persistent wheezing illness in former high-risk, extremely low gestational age newborns, and to quantify the contribution of socioeconomic, environmental, and biological factors on this relationship. STUDY DESIGN: We assessed persistent wheezing illness determined at 18-24 months corrected (for prematurity) age in survivors of a randomized trial. Parents/caregivers were surveyed for wheeze and inhaled asthma medication use quarterly to 12 months, and at 18 and 24 months. We used multivariable analysis to evaluate the relationship of maternal race to persistent wheezing illness, and identified mediators for this relationship via formal mediation analysis. RESULTS: Of 420 infants (25.2 ± 1.2 weeks of gestation and 714 ± 166 g at birth, 57% male, 34% maternal black race), 189 (45%) had persistent wheezing illness. After adjustment for gestational age, birth weight, and sex, infants of black mothers had increased odds of persistent wheeze compared with infants of nonblack mothers (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.9, 4.5). Only bronchopulmonary dysplasia, breast milk diet, and public insurance status were identified as mediators. In this model, the direct effect of race accounted for 69% of the relationship between maternal race and persistent wheeze, whereas breast milk diet, public insurance status, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia accounted for 8%, 12%, and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among former high-risk extremely low gestational age newborns, infants of black mothers have increased odds of developing persistent wheeze. A substantial proportion of this effect is directly accounted for by race, which may reflect unmeasured environmental influences, and acquired and innate biological differences. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01022580.

Maternal race, demography, and health care disparities impact risk for intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm neonates.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether risk factors associated with grade 2-4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) differs between infants of African ancestry and white infants. STUDY DESIGN: Inborn, appropriate for gestational age infants with birth weight 500-1250 g and exposure to at least 1 dose of antenatal steroids were enrolled in 24 neonatal intensive care units. Cases had grade 2-4 IVH and controls matched for site, race, and birth weight range had 2 normal ultrasounds read centrally. Multivariate logistic regression modeling identified factors associated with IVH across African ancestry and white race. RESULTS: Subjects included 579 African ancestry or white race infants with grade 2-4 IVH and 532 controls. Mothers of African ancestry children were less educated, and white case mothers were more likely to have more than 1 prenatal visit and multiple gestation (P ≤ .01 for all). Increasing gestational age (P = .01), preeclampsia (P < .001), complete antenatal steroid exposure (P = .02), cesarean delivery (P < .001), and white race (P = .01) were associated with decreased risk for IVH. Chorioamnionitis (P = .01), 5-minute Apgar score <3 (P < .004), surfactant use (P < .001), and high-frequency ventilation (P < .001) were associated with increased risk for IVH. Among African ancestry infants, having more than 1 prenatal visit was associated with decreased risk (P = .02). Among white infants, multiple gestation was associated with increased risk (P < .001), and higher maternal education was associated with decreased risk (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The risk for IVH differs between infants of African ancestry and white infants, possibly attributable to both race and health care disparities.