Navigating geographical disparities: access to obstetric hospitals in maternity care deserts and across the United States.

Background: Access to maternity care in the U.S. remains inequitable, impacting over two million women in maternity care "deserts.

Rationale and design of CH STRONG: Congenital Heart Survey To Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and well-beinG.

Unlabelled: Studies of outcomes among adults with congenital heart defects (CHDs) have focused on those receiving cardiac care, limiting generalizability. The Congenital Heart Survey To Recognize Outcomes, Needs, and well-beinG (CH STRONG) will assess comorbidities, health care utilization, quality of life, and social and educational outcomes from a US population-based sample of young adults living with CHD.

Methods: Individuals with CHD born between 1980 and 1997 were identified using active, population-based birth defects surveillance systems from 3 US locations (Arkansas [AR]; Arizona [AZ]; and Atlanta, Georgia [GA]) linked to death records.

Racial/Ethnic Inequities in Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth: The Role of Multiple Forms of Stress.

Introduction Racial/ethnic inequities in low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) persist in the United States. Research has identified numerous risk factors for adverse birth outcomes; however, they do not fully explain the occurrence of, or inequalities in PTB/LBW. Stress has been proposed as one explanation for differences in LBW and PTB by race/ethnicity.

Close to me: enhancing kangaroo care practice for NICU staff and parents.

Purpose: The benefits of kangaroo care (KC) are well supported by previously published studies, yet KC is offered inconsistently and faces obstacles in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The March of Dimes designed Close to Me to facilitate and increase KC in NICUs. The program incorporates KC education for nurses and parents, as well as awareness and comfort components.

Racial/Ethnic and nativity differences in birth outcomes among mothers in New York City: the role of social ties and social support.

Immigrants have lower rates of low birth weight (LBW) and to some extent preterm birth (PTB), than their US-born counterparts. This pattern has been termed the 'immigrant health paradox'. Social ties and support are one proposed explanation for this phenomenon.

Increased risk of adverse neurological development for late preterm infants.

Objective: To assess the risks of moderate prematurity for cerebral palsy (CP), developmental delay/mental retardation (DD/MR), and seizure disorders in early childhood.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using hospitalization and outpatient databases from the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program. Data covered 141 321 children > or =30 weeks born between Jan 1, 2000, and June 30, 2004, with follow-up through June 30, 2005.

The relationship between cesarean delivery and gestational age among US singleton births.

The increasing trend of delivering at earlier gestational ages has raised concerns of the impact on maternal and infant health. The delicate balance of the risks and benefits associated with continuing a pregnancy versus delivering early remains challenging. Among singleton live births in the United States, the proportion of preterm births increased from 9.

The changing epidemiology of multiple births in the United States.

Objective: To describe changes in the epidemiology of multiple births in the United States from 1980 to 1999 by race, maternal age, and region; and to examine the impact of these changes on birth weight-specific infant mortality rates for singleton and multiple births.

Methods: Retrospective univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted using vital statistics data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Results: Between 1980 and 1999, the overall multiple birth ratio increased 59% (from 19.

Neural tube defect-specific infant mortality in the United States.

Background: Significant resources have been devoted to decreasing the rate of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the United States. Both surveillance data and birth records have strengths and limitations for evaluating the outcomes of this resource allocation. Cause-specific infant mortality data can be used as one measure to support evaluation efforts.

Contribution of birth defects to infant mortality in the United States.

Background: While overall infant mortality rates (IMR) have declined over the past several decades, birth defects have remained the leading cause of infant death in the United States. To illustrate how this leading cause of infant mortality impacts subgroups within the US population a descriptive analysis of the contribution of birth defects to infant mortality at the national and state level was conducted.

Methods: Descriptive analyses of birth defects-specific IMRs and proportionate infant mortality due to birth defects were conducted for the US using 1999 mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics.