The Relationship Between Hispanic Ethnicity and Outcomes for Infants Born Extremely Preterm.

Objective: To characterize the association between maternal ethnicity and infant survival to discharge without major morbidity.

Study Design: This is secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of infants born <27 weeks of gestation at NICHD Neonatal Research Network centers from 2006 through 2020. The primary outcome was survival to discharge without major morbidity (sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia grade 3, intracranial hemorrhage grade ≥3, periventricular leukomalacia, and advanced retinopathy of prematurity). Outcomes were compared by ethnicity and adjusted for center, perinatal characteristics, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: Of 14,029 subjects, 2155 (15%) were Hispanic, 6116 (44%) non-Hispanic Black, and 5758 (41%) non-Hispanic White. Infants of Hispanic mothers had the lowest survival to discharge without major morbidity (Hispanic 523/2099 [25%], non-Hispanic Black 1701/5940 [29%], non-Hispanic White 1494/5597 [27%], p=0.002). Adjusted odds of survival without major morbidity differed between Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69-0.93), but not between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White infants (aOR 1.07, 95% CI 0.92-1.25). At 2 years, children of non-Hispanic White mothers had the lowest incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment (Hispanic 544/1235 [44%], non-Hispanic Black 1574/3482 [45%], non-Hispanic White 1004/3182 [32%], p<0.001). Odds of impairment were greater for Hispanic than non-Hispanic White children (aOR 1.25, 95% CI 1.05-1.48) but did not differ between Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.74-1.04).

Conclusions: In a multicenter cohort, infants of Hispanic mothers had lower odds of survival to discharge without major morbidity than infants of non-Hispanic Black mothers and similar odds of survival without major morbidity as infants of non-Hispanic White mothers.