A better understanding of
factors associated with the lack of prenatal care can lead to
development of interventions for the populations most at risk. Efforts
to increase the rate of prenatal care among black women may lead to a
lower rate of preterm births thereby potentially decreasing the rate of
NEC in infants born to black women.
Racial Differences and Incidence of Maternal Infection
Black women also have higher rates of bacterial vaginosis,
chorioamnionitis and genital tract infections than white women.11
These types of intrauterine infections are associated with as much as
80% of the spontaneous preterm births in black women.9