Preterm Birth in African American Women: A Multi-Omic Pilot Study in Early Pregnancy.

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks completed gestation) is a devastating problem affecting over 13 million live births worldwide. In the U.S.

Associations Among Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress, and Birth Satisfaction in Black Women in the Postpartum Period.

Objective: To examine associations among experiences of racial discrimination, perceived stress, and birth satisfaction and to test if perceived stress mediates the relationship between racial discrimination and birth satisfaction among Black women in the postpartum period.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from the Biosocial Impact on Black Births study.

Setting: A postpartum unit of a large hospital in Central Florida.

Racial Discrimination, Social Support, and Psychological Distress Among Black Pregnant Women.

Background: Black pregnant women who experience racial discrimination are at an increased risk of psychological distress. Studies have not adequately addressed if social support may moderate the association between experiences of racial discrimination and psychological distress among Black pregnant women.

Objective: We sought to examine the moderating effect of social support on the association between experiences of racial discrimination and psychological distress among Black pregnant women.

Neighborhood Environment and Perceived Stress Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Childbearing Black Women.

Purpose: The purpose of this study among pregnant and postpartum Black women was twofold: (1) to compare levels of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, social support, and neighborhood disorder and crime before the pandemic vs during the pandemic; and (2) to examine the association of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social support with neighborhood disorder and crime at both time points.

Methods: This was a prospective study as part of the Biosocial Impact on Black Births, a longitudinal study that examined the role of maternal factors on preterm birth among Black women. A sample of 143 women were included who responded to survey questions during pregnancy prior to the pandemic and again after birth, during the pandemic.

A Mixed Methods Approach to Understand Mother-Father Relationship and Perceived Stress Among Black Pregnant Women.

Background: Black women in the United States report moderate to high levels of perceived stress during pregnancy. Though lower levels of involvement and support from father of the baby (FOB) and higher levels of conflict have been associated with higher levels of maternal perceived stress, it is not clear how Black pregnant women experience the mother-father relationship and its influence on perceived stress.

Purpose: To examine and describe the mother-father relationship and its role in experiences of perceived stress from the perspective of Black pregnant women.

Placental chronic inflammatory histopathology and fetal growth in a cohort with universal placental examination.

Introduction: Chronic placental inflammation is a routinely diagnosed group of placental lesions that reflect immunologic dysfunction of the mother, fetus, or both.

Methods: Complete placental pathology examinations were performed for all term births at New York Presbyterian- Brooklyn Methodist Hospital from January 2010-August 2016. Diagnoses were blinded except to gestational age.

Maternal affective symptoms and sleep quality have sex-specific associations with placental topography.

Background: The impacts of prenatal maternal affective symptoms on the placental structure are not well-established. Employing Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial autocorrelation, Moran's I, can help characterize placental thickness uniformity/variability and evaluate the impacts of maternal distress on placental topography.

Methods: This study (N = 126) utilized cohort data on prenatal maternal affective symptoms and placental 2D and 3D morphology.

Changes in Lipid Profiles with the Progression of Pregnancy in Black Women.

: Lipid metabolism plays an important role in maternal health and fetal development. There is a gap in the knowledge of how lipid metabolism changes during pregnancy for Black women who are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes. We hypothesized that the comprehensive lipidome profiles would show variation across pregnancy indicative of requirements during gestation and fetal development.

Predictors of Intensive Care Unit Admissions in Patients Presenting with Coronavirus Disease 2019.

 Increased mortality rates among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) highlight a compelling need to establish predictive criteria for ICU admissions. The aim of our study was to identify criteria for recognizing patients with COVID-19 at elevated risk for ICU admission.  We identified patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and were hospitalized between March and May 2020.

Corrigendum: Social mobility and perinatal depression in Black women.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2023.

Neighborhood racial composition and experiences of racial discrimination: Associations with cytokines during pregnancy among African American women.

Background: Preterm birth rates are consistently higher in African American (AA) pregnancies compared to White pregnancies in the United States. Neighborhood racial composition, experiences of racial discrimination, and systemic inflammation are factors that have been associated with preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes that may account for these disparities. Here, we investigated whether perceived neighborhood racial composition and experiences of discrimination were predictive of cytokine levels during pregnancy among AA individuals.

Vitamin D Status as an Important Predictor of Preterm Birth in a Cohort of Black Women.

Vitamin D deficiency (25 (OH)D < 20 ng/mL) is a modifiable risk factor that has been associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (PTB) (<37 weeks gestation). Black women are at a high risk for vitamin D deficiency due to higher melanin levels. Vitamin D sufficiency may be protective against PTB risk in Black women.

Mother-Father Relationship and Depressive Symptoms Among Pregnant Black Women.

Background: Black women report higher levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy than white women. A supportive relationship with the father of the baby may be protective and decrease depressive symptoms.

Objective: We sought to examine the association between mother-father relationship and depressive symptoms among pregnant black women.

Social mobility and perinatal depression in Black women.

Background: Higher socioeconomic position is associated with better birth outcomes and maternal mental health, although this relationship is less consistent for Black women. The literature is limited on the impact of social mobility across the life course on mental health of pregnant women. This study examines the impact of perceived financial status across the life-course on depressive symptoms during pregnancy among Black women.

Fathers Matter: Black Fathers' Relationships with their Partners during Pregnancy and Postpartum.

Purpose: To describe the characteristics of participants in the Fathers Matter study for a better understanding of fathers of the baby who engage in pregnancy research involving primarily Black couples and their relationships with their partners.

Study Design And Methods: The Fathers Matter Study uses a prospective design, identifying father-mother dyads during pregnancy and following them until birth as part of the Biosocial Impacts on Black Births Study. Participants completed prenatal and postpartum questionnaires.

Epigenetic Implications of Neighborhood Disorder and Psychological Distress among Pregnant Black Women.

In the United States, Black women experience preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks gestation) at more than 1.5 times the rate of non-Hispanic White women. Social determinants of health including the neighborhood environment have been recognized as contributing to the risk of PTB.

The associations of objective and perceived neighborhood disadvantage with stress among pregnant black women.

Background: Neighborhood disadvantage may impact risk of preterm birth through stress. Few studies have examined how neighborhood disadvantage relates to stress during pregnancy, especially for Black women.

Methods: Secondary data analysis of 572 women in a prospective cohort in Detroit, MI and Columbus, OH.

Association of maternal and paternal psychosocial stress and infant hair cortisol among Arab American immigrants: A pilot study.

Acculturative stress is unique among immigrants and refers to the stress associated with maintaining cultural values and traditions in the host country. Immigrant parents confront psychosocial variables such as acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression that might result in intergenerational negative consequences on their infants. Measurement of hair cortisol concentration (HCC), an outcome of neuroendocrine dysregulation, is one relatively noninvasive approach to gauge stress in infants.

The Association of Avoidance Coping with Gestational Weight Gain among Pregnant Black Women.

Gestational weight gain (GWG) outside recommended parameters can lead to pregnancy or birth complications. Avoidance coping may influence GWG. We examined the association of avoidance coping with GWG among a sample of 112 pregnant Black women in the Midwest.

Psychosocial Factors and Telomere Length Among Parents and Infants of Immigrant Arab American Families.

Immigrant Arab American families face multiple stressors related to migration and resettlement. Telomere length (TL) is an established biomarker of aging and psychosocial stress. No published studies have concurrently examined the association between maternal and paternal psychosocial factors and infants' TL.

A Qualitative Approach to the Dimensions of Segregation among Pregnant Black Women.

This study compares and contrasts residents' perceptions of segregation measures using qualitative and quantitative data. Most studies exploring racial residential segregation and health outcomes use large-scale, metropolitan-wide measures. As a result, we have limited understanding of racial residential segregation outside of Census data, particularly about the firsthand experiences of those living in segregated areas.

DNA Methylation Patterns of Glucocorticoid Pathway Genes in Preterm Birth Among Black Women.

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks gestation) rates have increased for 5 of the last 6 consecutive years in the United States. These rates are particularly alarming for U.S.

A Mixed-Methods Study of Experiences During Pregnancy Among Black Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Pregnant women experienced disruptions in their prenatal care during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. While there is emerging research about the impact of COVID-19 on experiences of pregnancy, the majority of studies that have reported on prenatal care and birth during COVID-19 have not incorporated the first-person accounts of Black women. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the perspectives of Black women on prenatal care, labor, and birth during the pandemic.

Psychosocial and behavioral factors affecting inflammation among pregnant African American women.

African American women are reported to have greater inflammation compared with women from other racial groups. Higher inflammation during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. We hypothesized that maternal inflammation is related to depressive symptoms and social and behavioral risk factors among pregnant African American women.

Racial residential segregation, neighborhood disorder, and racial discrimination among black pregnant women.

Objective: To compare and contrast pregnant, Black women's voices with quantitative measures of racial residential segregation, neighborhood disorder, and racial discrimination.

Design And Sample: Using a convergent design for the parent study, surveys and qualitative interviews were completed by Black pregnant women (n = 27).

Measures: Content analysis was conducted and data were analyzed to assess for congruency or divergence for each concept related to structural racism (racial residential segregation, neighborhood disorder, and discrimination).