Too Many African-American Babies Born Too Soon

Nearly one out of every six black babies in the U.S. is born premature.

Too many African American babies are being born too soon, according to Huffington Post writer Dr. Lisa Gitten-Williams.

Nearly one out of every six African American children in the United States are born premature; and in places like Newark, New Jersey, the ratio is one in five.

Gitten-Williams, who is a maternal fetal medicine specialist, says she sees women at risk of delivering early every day.

Premature births can be caused by general health problems. Diabetes, obesity and hypertension have been implicated in the premature birth rates, according to medical experts. However, drinking alcohol, smoking and substance abuse have also been implicated in forcing pre-term labor, doctors say.

Here's an excerpt from the piece in which she lists five ways in which a mother can deliver a healthy baby.

I remember, quite dearly, one young African-American woman who came for her first prenatal visit at seven months of pregnancy. She had a prior baby who was born prematurely in another state, and the baby did well. Overwhelmed by the thought of motherhood, she did not seek out any community resources and had only recently learned about our practice. She was complaining of abdominal pain when I saw her. Her ultrasound confirmed that she was 28 weeks. The baby weighed slightly over two pounds. I diagnosed preterm labor and sent her to the hospital for care. She delivered a live baby girl one week later. Although the baby was premature, our interventions, including medication and excellent care for the newborn, allowed her to take the baby home about eight weeks later.

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