Health inequities start early in life, even before birth: Why race-specific fetal and neonatal growth references disadvantage Black infants.
Publication
, Journal Article
Belfort, MB; Wheeler, SM; Burris, HH
Published in: Semin Perinatol
December 2022
Clinicians and researchers use published standards to assess and classify the size and growth of the fetus and newborn infant. Fetal growth is slower on average in Black fetuses as compared with White fetuses, and existing standards differ in whether they are race-specific or not. Here, we apply a health equity lens to the topic of fetal and newborn growth assessment by critically appraising two widely available growth standards. We conclude that using race-based standards is not well-justified and could perpetuate or even worsen inequities in perinatal health outcomes. We therefore recommend that neonatal and perinatal providers remove race from the assessment of fetal and newborn size.
Duke Scholars
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Published In
Semin Perinatol
DOI
EISSN
1558-075X
Publication Date
December 2022
Volume
46
Issue
8
Start / End Page
151662
Location
United States
Related Subject Headings
- Pregnancy
- Parturition
- Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant
- Humans
- Health Inequities
- Gestational Age
- Fetus
- Fetal Development
Citation
APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Belfort, M. B., Wheeler, S. M., & Burris, H. H. (2022). Health inequities start early in life, even before birth: Why race-specific fetal and neonatal growth references disadvantage Black infants. Semin Perinatol, 46(8), 151662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2022.151662
Belfort, Mandy Brown, Sarahn M. Wheeler, and Heather H. Burris. “Health inequities start early in life, even before birth: Why race-specific fetal and neonatal growth references disadvantage Black infants.” Semin Perinatol 46, no. 8 (December 2022): 151662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2022.151662.
Belfort MB, Wheeler SM, Burris HH. Health inequities start early in life, even before birth: Why race-specific fetal and neonatal growth references disadvantage Black infants. Semin Perinatol. 2022 Dec;46(8):151662.
Belfort, Mandy Brown, et al. “Health inequities start early in life, even before birth: Why race-specific fetal and neonatal growth references disadvantage Black infants.” Semin Perinatol, vol. 46, no. 8, Dec. 2022, p. 151662. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.semperi.2022.151662.
Belfort MB, Wheeler SM, Burris HH. Health inequities start early in life, even before birth: Why race-specific fetal and neonatal growth references disadvantage Black infants. Semin Perinatol. 2022 Dec;46(8):151662.
Published In
Semin Perinatol
DOI
EISSN
1558-075X
Publication Date
December 2022
Volume
46
Issue
8
Start / End Page
151662
Location
United States
Related Subject Headings
- Pregnancy
- Parturition
- Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant
- Humans
- Health Inequities
- Gestational Age
- Fetus
- Fetal Development