Effects of race and ethnicity on perinatal outcomes in high-income and upper-middle-income countries: an individual participant data meta-analysis of 2 198 655 pregnancies

Hedonic hunger, ultra-processed food consumption, and the moderating effects of impulsivity in pregnant individuals with body mass index ≥ 25

Evidence suggests higher hedonic hunger (preoccupation with/desire to consume food for pleasure) is associated with greater ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in non-pregnant individuals with higher, but not lower, self-report impulsivity or delay discounting. The current study tested the association between hedonic hunger and UPF consumption, and the moderating effects of self-report impulsivity and delay discounting, during pregnancy. Individuals (N = 220) with body mass index (BMI)≥25 completed the Power of Food Scale, 24-h dietary recalls, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Version 11 in early-mid pregnancy. A subset enrolled in an ancillary study (n = 143) completed a Delay Discounting Task. Linear regression and moderation models covaried for age, gestational age, pre-pregnancy BMI, and socioeconomic status. The association between hedonic hunger and UPF consumption was nonsignificant (p = 0.47). Self-report impulsivity was not a significant moderator (p = 0.11), but delay discounting was (p = 0.01). Simple slopes analysis revealed a one-unit increase in hedonic hunger was associated with 7% lower UPF intake among participants with lower (M+1SD) delay discounting (p = 0.01) and 1% higher UPF intake among those with higher (M-1SD) delay discounting (p = 0.57). Findings contrast those from research with non-pregnant samples and indicate lower delay discounting may serve as a protective factor, associated with reduced UPF consumption at higher levels of hedonic hunger, during pregnancy.

Priorities for health outcomes in glaucoma in an ethnically diverse UK cohort: an observational study

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether patients from minority ethnic groups have different perceptions about the quality-of-life outcomes that matter most to them.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING

High volume eye centres serving the most ethnically diverse region in the UK, recruiting from July 2021 to February 2022.

PARTICIPANTS

511 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and the predisease state of ocular hypertension.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome was participants' self-reported priorities for health outcomes.

RESULTS

Participants fell into one of four clusters with differing priorities for health outcomes, namely: (1) vision, (2) drop freedom, (3) intraocular pressure and (4) one-time treatment. Ethnicity was the strongest determinant of cluster membership after adjusting for potential confounders. Compared with white patients prioritising vision alone, the OR for black/black British patients was 7.31 (95% CI 3.43 to 15.57, p<0.001) for prioritising drop freedom; 5.95 (2.91 to 12.16, p<0.001) for intraocular pressure; and 2.99 (1.44 to 6.18, p=0.003) for one-time treatment. For Asian/Asian British patients, the OR was 3.17 (1.12 to 8.96, p=0.030) for prioritising intraocular pressure as highly as vision. Other ethnic minority groups also had higher ORs for prioritising health outcomes other than vision alone: 4.50 (1.03 to 19.63, p=0.045) for drop freedom and 5.37 (1.47 to 19.60, p=0.011) for intraocular pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Ethnicity is strongly associated with differing perceptions about the health outcomes that matter. An individualised and ethnically inclusive approach is needed when selecting and evaluating treatments in clinical and research settings.

The Extent, Range, and Nature of Quantitative Nutrition Research Engaging with Intersectional Inequalities: A Systematic Scoping Review

Addressing malnutrition for all requires understanding inequalities in nutrition outcomes and how they intersect. Intersectionality is increasingly used as a theoretical tool for understanding how social characteristics intersect to shape inequalities in health outcomes. However, little is known about the extent, range, and nature of quantitative nutrition research engaging with intersectional inequalities. This systematic scoping review aimed to address this gap. Between 15 May 2021 and 15 May 2022, we searched 8 databases. Studies eligible for inclusion used any quantitative research methodology and aimed to investigate how social characteristics intersect to influence nutrition outcomes. In total, 55 studies were included, with 85% published since 2015. Studies spanned populations in 14 countries but were concentrated in the United States (n = 35) and India (n = 7), with just 1 in a low-income country (Mozambique). Race or ethnicity and gender were most commonly intersected (n = 20), and body mass index and overweight and/or obesity were the most common outcomes. No studies investigated indicators of infant and young child feeding or micronutrient status. Study designs were mostly cross-sectional (80%); no mixed-method or interventional research was identified. Regression with interaction terms was the most prevalent method (n = 26); 2 of 15 studies using nonlinear models took extra steps to assess interaction on the additive scale, as recommended for understanding intersectionality and assessing public health impacts. Nine studies investigated mechanisms that may explain why intersectional inequalities in nutrition outcomes exist, but intervention-relevant interpretations were mostly limited. We conclude that quantitative nutrition research engaging with intersectionality is gaining traction but is mostly limited to the United States and India. Future research must consider the intersectionality of a wider spectrum of public health nutrition challenges across diverse settings and use more robust and mixed-method research to identify specific interventions for addressing intersectional inequalities in nutrition outcomes. Data systems in nutrition must improve to facilitate this. This review was registered in PROSPERO as CRD42021253339.

Ethnicity, socio-economic deprivation and postpartum outcomes following caesarean delivery: a multicentre cohort study

Disparities relating to postpartum recovery outcomes in different socio-economic and racial ethnic groups are underexplored. We conducted a planned analysis of a large prospective caesarean delivery cohort to explore the relationship between ethnicity, socio-economic status and postpartum recovery. Eligible patients were enrolled and baseline demographic, obstetric and medical history data were collected 18 h and 30 h following delivery. Patients completed postpartum quality of life and recovery measures in person on day 1 (EuroQoL EQ-5D-5L, including global health visual analogue scale; Obstetric Quality of Recovery-10 item score; and pain scores) and by telephone between day 28 and day 32 postpartum (EQ-5D-5L and pain scores). Socio-economic group was determined according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile of each patient's usual place of residence. Data from 1000 patients who underwent caesarean delivery were included. There were more patients of Asian, Black and mixed ethnicity in the more deprived quintiles. Patients of White ethnicities had shorter postpartum duration of hospital stay compared with patients of Asian and Black ethnicities (35 (28-56 [18-513]) h vs. 44 (31-71 [19-465]) h vs. 49 (33-75 [23-189]) h, respectively. In adjusted models at day 30, patients of Asian ethnicity had a significantly greater risk of moderate to severe pain (numerical rating scale ≥ 4) at rest and on movement (odds ratio (95%CI) 2.42 (1.24-4.74) and 2.32 (1.40-3.87)), respectively). There were no differences in readmission rates or incidence of complications between groups. Patients from White ethnic backgrounds experience shorter postpartum duration of stay compared with patients from Asian and Black ethnic groups. Ethnic background impacts pain scores and recovery at day 1 postpartum and following hospital discharge, even after adjusting for socio-economic group. Further work is required to understand the underlying factors driving differences in pain and recovery and to develop strategies to reduce disparities in obstetric patients.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict medication risk based on a knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) survey of residents in Shanxi Province, China

Objective

Unsafe medication practices and medication errors are a major cause of harm in healthcare systems around the world. This study aimed to explore the factors that influence the risk of medication and provide medication risk evaluation model for adults in Shanxi province, China.

Methods

The data was obtained from the provincial questionnaire from May to December 2022, relying on the random distribution of questionnaires and online questionnaires by four hospitals in Shanxi Province. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the factors affecting the KAP score of residents. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the independent risk factors, and the nomogram was verified by receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration and decision curve analysis.

Results

A total of 3,388 questionnaires were collected, including 3,272 valid questionnaires. The average scores of drugs KAP were 63.2 ± 23.04, 33.05 ± 9.60, 23.67 ± 6.75 and 33.16 ± 10.87, respectively. On the evaluation criteria of the questionnaire, knowledge was scored "fair", attitude and practice were scored "good". Sex, monthly income, place of residence, insurance status, education level, and employment were regarded as independent risk factors for medication and a nomogram was established by them.

Conclusion

Males, low-income, and low-educated people are important factors affecting the risk of medication. The application of the model can help residents understand the risk of their own medication behavior and reduce the harm of medication.

SARS-CoV-2 infection by trimester of pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes: a Mexican retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Conflicting evidence for the association between COVID-19 and adverse perinatal outcomes exists. This study examined the associations between maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes including preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational age (SGA), large-for-gestational age (LGA) and fetal death; as well as whether the associations differ by trimester of infection.

DESIGN AND SETTING

The study used a retrospective Mexican birth cohort from the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Mexico, between January 2020 and November 2021.

PARTICIPANTS

We used the social security administrative dataset from IMSS that had COVID-19 information and linked it with the IMSS routine hospitalisation dataset, to identify deliveries in the study period with a test for SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy.

OUTCOME MEASURES

PTB, LBW, SGA, LGA and fetal death. We used targeted maximum likelihood estimators, to quantify associations (risk ratio, RR) and CIs. We fit models for the overall COVID-19 sample, and separately for those with mild or severe disease, and by trimester of infection. Additionally, we investigated potential bias induced by missing non-tested pregnancies.

RESULTS

The overall sample comprised 17 340 singleton pregnancies, of which 30% tested positive. We found that those with mild COVID-19 had an RR of 0.89 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.99) for PTB and those with severe COVID-19 had an RR of 1.53 (95% CI 1.07 to 2.19) for LGA. COVID-19 in the first trimester was associated with fetal death, RR=2.36 (95% CI 1.04, 5.36). Results also demonstrate that missing non-tested pregnancies might induce bias in the associations.

CONCLUSIONS

In the overall sample, there was no evidence of an association between COVID-19 and adverse perinatal outcomes. However, the findings suggest that severe COVID-19 may increase the risk of some perinatal outcomes, with the first trimester potentially being a high-risk period.

Impact of sex, race, and social determinants of health on neonatal outcomes

Despite the global improvements in neonatal outcomes, mortality and morbidity rates among preterm infants are still unacceptably high. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly analyze the factors that affect these outcomes, including sex, race, and social determinants of health. By comprehending the influence of these factors, we can work towards reducing their impact and enhancing the quality of neonatal care. This review will summarize the available evidence on sex differences, racial differences, and social determinants of health related to neonates. This review will discuss sex differences in neonatal outcomes in part I and racial differences with social determinants of health in part II. Research has shown that sex differences begin to manifest in the early part of the pregnancy. Hence, we will explore this topic under two main categories: (1) Antenatal and (2) Postnatal sex differences. We will also discuss long-term outcome differences wherever the evidence is available. Multiple factors determine health outcomes during pregnancy and the newborn period. Apart from the genetic, biological, and sex-based differences that influence fetal and neonatal outcomes, racial and social factors influence the health and well-being of developing humans. Race categorizes humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally considered distinct within a given society. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. These factors can include a person's living conditions, access to healthy food, education, employment status, income level, and social support. Understanding these factors is essential in developing strategies to improve overall health outcomes in communities.

Deprived areas and adverse perinatal outcome: a systematic review

PURPOSE

This systematic review aimed to assess if women living in deprived areas have worse perinatal outcomes than those residing in high-income areas.

METHODS

Datasets of PubMed, ScienceDirect, CENTRAL, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched for studies comparing perinatal outcomes (preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, and stillbirth) in deprived and non-deprive areas.

RESULTS

A total of 46 studies were included. The systematic review of the literature revealed a higher risk for adverse perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth, small for gestational age, and stillbirth in deprived areas.

CONCLUSION

Deprived areas are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. More multifactorial studies are needed to assess the weight of each factor that composes the socioeconomic gradient of health in adverse perinatal outcomes.

"There is nothing to protect us from dying": Black women's perceived sense of safety accessing pregnancy and intrapartum care

Pregnancy and childbirth have become a dangerous journey for Black women as harrowing stories of death and near-death experiences resonate within Black communities. While the causes of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality are well documented, little is known about how Black Canadian women feel protected from undesirable maternal health outcomes when accessing and receiving pregnancy and intrapartum care. This critical qualitative inquiry sheds light on Black women's perceived sense of safety in accessing pregnancy and intrapartum care. Twenty-four in-depth interviews were conducted with Black women who were pregnant or had given birth. Five interconnected themes were generated through thematic analysis: (1) There is a lot of prejudice towards us, (2) We are treated as sick bodies, (3) There is a lot of stereotypes towards us, (4) Our care is lacking in quality, and (5) We feel unsafe in the healthcare system. These themes highlight the perils faced by Black women accessing pregnancy and intrapartum care. The right to safe motherhood and equitable care for Black women should be a national priority in Canada to avert a looming crisis.

Placental weight, surface area, shape and thickness - Relations with maternal ethnicity and cardio-metabolic factors during pregnancy

INTRODUCTION

A better understanding of the determinants of placental growth is needed. Our primary aim was to explore associations between maternal ethnic origin and cardio-metabolic factors during pregnancy, and placental weight, surface area, shape and thickness.

METHODS

A multi-ethnic population-based cohort study of 474 pregnant women examined at mean 15 and 28 weeks' gestation. Placentas were inspected after birth by a placental pathologist. Outcome measures were trimmed placental weight and three uncorrelated placental components; surface area, shape (oval vs round) and thickness, created through a principal components analysis. Multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the associations with maternal factors.

RESULTS

Compared with ethnic European women, mothers with South- and East Asian ethnicity had placentas with lower weight (-51 g (95% CI: 75, -27) and -55 g (-95, -14) respectively), primarily due to a smaller surface area. The association between South Asian ethnicity and placental surface area was still significant after adjusting for maternal characteristics and cardio-metabolic factors. Fat mass index in early pregnancy was associated with higher placental weight and thickness. Placental surface area was positively associated with mid-gestational increases in fat mass, fasting glucose and triglycerides and with the 2-h glucose value at the 28 week oral glucose tolerance test, and inversely with a mid-gestational increase in HDL-cholesterol.

DISCUSSION

Mid-gestational changes in fat mass, glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol were associated with, but only partly explained ethnic differences in placental surface area, while maternal fat mass in early pregnancy was associated with placental thickness.

Race and Ethnicity, Deprivation, and Infant Mortality in England, 2019-2022

Importance

England has one of the highest infant mortality rates in Europe. Much of the variation in infant mortality rates between races and ethnicities may be due to socioeconomic factors, but how deprivation and race and ethnicity are associated with infant mortality is unclear.

Objectives

To investigate the association of infant race and ethnicity with the infant mortality rate in England, adjusted for preterm birth and level of deprivation.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study included children who died younger than 1 year of age, born at or after 22 weeks' gestation, occurring from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2022, in England. Characteristics of the infant were derived from death notifications.

Exposures

The racial and ethnic groups were derived from National Health Service data and were reported by the parents and characterized using the Office of National Statistics classification: Asian or Asian British (Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, or any other Asian background), Black or Black British (African, Caribbean, or any other Black background), multiracial (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean, or any other multiracial background), White or White British (British, Irish, any other White background, or Gypsy or Irish Traveler), and other (Arab or any other racial or ethnic group).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Risk of death for all racial and ethnic groups and relative risk of death compared with the reference group (White) were calcuated. Analyses were repeated, adjusting for deprivation, gestational age of infants, and region of England.

Results

A total of 5621 infants who died younger than 1 year of age were reported to the National Child Mortality Database. A total of 2842 of 5130 infants (55.4%) were male; the median gestational age was 33 weeks (IQR, 25-38 weeks); of 5149 infants, 927 (18.0%) were Asian, 448 (8.7%) were Black, 3318 (64.4%) were White, 343 (6.7%) were multiracial, and 113 (2.2%) were from other racial and ethnic groups; and the median deprivation score was 4 (IQR, 3-5). In the unadjusted analysis, the relative risk of death compared with White infants was higher for Black (1.93 [95% CI, 1.75-2.13]) and Asian (1.67 [95% CI, 1.55-1.80]) infants. The population attributable risk fraction for all mortality rates among infants who were not White was 12.0% (95% CI, 10.3%-13.8%) (unadjusted), 9.8% (95% CI, 8.0%-11.7%) (adjusted for deprivation), 7.7% (95% CI, 5.9%-9.5%) (adjusted for gestational age at birth), and 12.8% (95% CI, 11.0%-14.5%) (adjusted for region of England).

Conclusions and Relevance

This cohort study suggests that the proportion of infants who died before 1 year of age is associated with race and ethnicity, with a population attributable risk fraction of 12.0%. An overconservative adjustment for deprivation did not explain the overall patterns seen. Approximately half the population attributable risk fraction may be due to increased risk of preterm birth in Asian and Black communities. Work is needed to identify what can be done to reduce this incidence of infant mortality.

Incidence of stillbirth among women with different risk profiles in Stockholm 2001-2020: a repeated cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of stillbirth in Sweden has started to decline. However, some comparable high-income countries in Europe have an even lower incidence, indicating a potential for further reduction. The aim of our study was to investigate how the incidence of stillbirth for singleton pregnancies has changed over the past two decades in the Stockholm Region in different groups of women to detect the groups at highest risk.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was a repeated cross-sectional study with data from the Stockholm Stillbirth Database and the Pregnancy Register including all cases of stillbirth in Stockholm in singleton pregnancies between 2001 and 2020, in total 1804 stillbirths. The time period was divided into four equal groups and the incidence of stillbirth was compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The overall incidence of stillbirth in the Stockholm Region has decreased from 3.8/1000 births in 2001-2005 to 2.9/1000 births in 2016-2020 (P-value <0.001). In most of the groups studied, the incidence decreased, but among women originating from sub-Saharan Africa the incidence significantly rose from 7.9/1000 births in 2001-2005 to 10.1/1000 births in 2016-2020 (P-value 0.025). In this group, stillbirth occurred prematurely to a higher extent and the women were more likely to be multiparous.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of stillbirth in the Stockholm Region has declined. However, among women originating from sub-Saharan Africa the incidence was significantly higher compared with women originating from other regions and it is still rising. More research is needed to understand why this group is at higher risk and how to monitor their pregnancies to decrease this risk.

Structural racism, nativity and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among Black women

BACKGROUND

Black women in the United States (US) have the highest risk of preterm birth (PTB) and small for gestational age (SGA) births, compared to women of other racial groups. Among Black women, there are disparities by nativity whereby foreign-born women have a lower risk of PTB and SGA compared to US-born women. Differential exposure to racism may confer nativity-based differences in adverse perinatal outcomes between US- and foreign-born Black women. This remains unexplored among US- and African-born women in California.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the relationship between structural racism, nativity, PTB and SGA among US- and African-born Black women in California.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based study of singleton births to US- and African-born Black women in California from 2011 to 2017 (n = 131,424). We examined the risk of PTB and SGA by nativity and neighbourhoods with differing levels of structural racism, as measured by the Index of Concentration at the Extremes. We fit crude and age-adjusted Poisson regression models, estimated using generalized estimating equations, with risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) as the effect measure.

RESULTS

The proportions of PTB and SGA were 9.7% and 14.5%, respectively, for US-born women, while 5.6% and 8.3% for African-born women. US-born women (n = 24,782; 20.8%) were more likely to live in neighbourhoods with high structural racism compared to African-born women (n = 1474; 11.6%). Structural racism was associated with an elevated risk of PTB (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.12, 1.26) and SGA (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.13, 1.25) for all Black women, however, there was heterogeneity by nativity, with US-born women experiencing a higher magnitude of effect than African-born women.

CONCLUSIONS

Among Black women in California, exposure to structural racism and the impacts of structural racism on the risk of PTB and SGA varied by nativity.

Maternal Migration Background and Mortality Among Infants Born Extremely Preterm

Importance

Extremely preterm infants require care provided in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to survive. In the Netherlands, a decision is made regarding active treatment between 24 weeks 0 days and 25 weeks 6 days after consultation with the parents.

Objective

To investigate the association between maternal migration background and admissions to NICUs and mortality within the first year among extremely preterm infants.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study linked data of registered births in the Netherlands with household-level income tax records and municipality and mortality registers. Eligible participants were households with live births at 24 weeks 0 days to 25 weeks 6 days gestation between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017. Data linkage and analysis was performed from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023.

Exposure

Maternal migration background, defined as no migration background vs first- or second-generation migrant mother.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Admissions to NICUs and mortality within the first week, month, and year of life. Logistic regressions were estimated adjusted for year of birth, maternal age, parity, household income, sex, gestational age, multiple births, and small for gestational age. NICU-specific fixed effects were also included.

Results

Among 1405 live births (768 male [54.7%], 546 [38.9%] with maternal migration background), 1243 (88.5%) were admitted to the NICU; 490 of 546 infants (89.7%) born to mothers with a migration background vs 753 of 859 infants (87.7%) born to mothers with no migration background were admitted to NICU (fully adjusted RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.08). A total of 652 live-born infants (46.4%) died within the first year of life. In the fully adjusted model, infants born to mothers with a migration background had lower risk of mortality within the first week (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-0.99), month (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.97), and year of life (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.96) compared with infants born to mothers with no migration background.

Conclusions

In this nationally representative cross-sectional study, infants born to mothers with a migration background at 24 weeks 0 days to 25 weeks 6 days of gestation in the Netherlands had lower risk of mortality within the first year of life than those born to mothers with no migration background, a result that was unlikely to be explained by mothers from different migration backgrounds attending different NICUs or differential preferences for active obstetric management across migration backgrounds. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms driving these disparities, including parental preferences for active care of extremely preterm infants.

Altered Oral Nitrate Reduction and Bacterial Profiles in Hypertensive Women Predict Blood Pressure Lowering Following Acute Dietary Nitrate Supplementation

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of dietary nitrate supplementation to lower blood pressure (BP) in pregnant women is highly variable. We aimed to investigate whether differences in oral microbiota profiles and oral nitrate-reducing capacity may explain interindividual differences in BP lowering following nitrate supplementation.

METHODS

Participants recruited for this study were both pregnant and nonpregnant women, with or without hypertension (n=55). Following an overnight fast, plasma, saliva, and tongue scraping samples were collected for measurement of nitrate/nitrite concentrations, oral NaR (nitrate reductase) activity, and microbiota profiling using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Baseline BP was measured, followed by the administration of a single dose of dietary nitrate (400 mg nitrate in 70 mL beetroot juice). Post-nitrate intervention, plasma and salivary nitrate/nitrite concentrations and BP were determined 2.5 hours later.

RESULTS

Women with hypertension had significantly lower salivary nitrite concentrations (P=0.006) and reduced abundance of the nitrate-reducing taxa Veillonella(P=0.007) compared with normotensive women. Oral NaR activity was not significantly different in pregnant versus nonpregnant women (P=0.991) but tended to be lower in hypertensive compared with normotensive women (P=0.099). Oral NaR activity was associated with both baseline diastolic BP (P=0.050) and change in diastolic BP following acute nitrate intake (P=0.01, adjusted for baseline BP).

CONCLUSIONS

The abundance and activity of oral nitrate-reducing bacteria impact both baseline BP as well as the ability of dietary nitrate supplementation to lower BP. Strategies to increase oral nitrate-reducing capacity could lower BP and enhance the efficacy of dietary nitrate supplementation, in pregnancy as well as in nonpregnant adults.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov; Unique identifier: NCT03930693.

Racial disparities in early pregnancy: a narrative review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review introduces the recognized body of evidence on social determinants of health, which continue to show that a person's health is determined by their broader environmental and social context and that societal inequities harm health and healthcare outcomes. An area of inequity is race, which, although a social construct, has a significant impact on a person's morbidity and mortality as well as their access and experience of healthcare. Racial disparities in maternal and perinatal outcomes are widely recognized. Therefore, this review focuses on the less commonly addressed early pregnancy setting.

RECENT FINDINGS

Health inequities are present in the early pregnancy setting, as racial disparities exist in early pregnancy presentations and outcomes. Black women have a higher incidence of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and poorer survival rates from gestational trophoblastic neoplasms. Asian women have a statistically significantly higher incidence of gestational trophoblastic disease.

SUMMARY

The findings support the need for more consistent and detailed research on the impact of race on early pregnancy outcomes and increasing ethnic diversity among study populations for trials to ensure meaningful and applicable data. Raising awareness of this racial health inequity in early pregnancy is the first step clinicians can take to tackle this issue.

Preterm preeclampsia screening using biomarkers: combining phenotypic classifiers into robust prediction models

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia screening is a critical component of antenatal care worldwide. Currently, the most developed screening test for preeclampsia at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation integrates maternal demographic characteristics and medical history with 3 biomarkers-serum placental growth factor, mean arterial pressure, and uterine artery pulsatility index-to identify approximately 75% of women who develop preterm preeclampsia with delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. It is generally accepted that further improvements to preeclampsia screening require the use of additional biomarkers. We recently reported that the levels of specific metabolites and metabolite ratios are associated with preterm preeclampsia. Notably, for several of these markers, preterm preeclampsia prediction varied according to maternal body mass index class. These findings motivated us to study whether patient classification allowed for combining metabolites with the current biomarkers more effectively to improve prediction of preterm preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate whether metabolite biomarkers can improve biomarker-based preterm preeclampsia prediction in 3 screening resource scenarios according to the availability of: (1) placental growth factor, (2) placental growth factor+mean arterial pressure, and (3) placental growth factor+mean arterial pressure+uterine artery pulsatility index.

STUDY DESIGN

This was an observational case-control study, drawn from a large prospective screening study at 11 to 13 weeks' gestation on the prediction of pregnancy complications, conducted at King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Maternal blood samples were also collected for subsequent research studies. We used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify levels of 50 metabolites previously associated with pregnancy complications in plasma samples from singleton pregnancies. Biomarker data, normalized using multiples of medians, on 1635 control and 106 preterm preeclampsia pregnancies were available for model development. Modeling was performed using a methodology that generated a prediction model for preterm preeclampsia in 4 consecutive steps: (1) z-normalization of predictors, (2) combinatorial modeling of so-called (weak) classifiers in the unstratified patient set and in discrete patient strata based on body mass index and/or race, (3) selection of classifiers, and (4) aggregation of the selected classifiers (ie, bagging) into the final prediction model. The prediction performance of models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and detection rate at 10% false-positive rate.

RESULTS

First, the predictor development methodology itself was evaluated. The patient set was split into a training set (2/3) and a test set (1/3) for predictor model development and internal validation. A prediction model was developed for each of the 3 different predictor panels, that is, placental growth factor+metabolites, placental growth factor+mean arterial pressure+metabolites, and placental growth factor+mean arterial pressure+uterine artery pulsatility index+metabolites. For all 3 models, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the test set did not differ significantly from that of the training set. Next, a prediction model was developed using the complete data set for the 3 predictor panels. Among the 50 metabolites available for modeling, 26 were selected across the 3 prediction models; 21 contributed to at least 2 out of the 3 prediction models developed. Each time, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and detection rate were significantly higher with the new prediction model than with the reference model. Markedly, the estimated detection rate with the placental growth factor+mean arterial pressure+metabolites prediction model in all patients was 0.58 (95% confidence interval, 0.49-0.70), a 15% increase (P<.001) over the detection rate of 0.43 (95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.55) estimated for the reference placental growth factor+mean arterial pressure. The same prediction model significantly improved detection in Black (14%) and White (19%) patients, and in the normal-weight group (18.5≤body mass index<25) and the obese group (body mass index≥30), with respectively 19% and 20% more cases detected, but not in the overweight group, when compared with the reference model. Similar improvement patterns in detection rates were found in the other 2 scenarios, but with smaller improvement amplitudes.

CONCLUSION

Metabolite biomarkers can be combined with the established biomarkers of placental growth factor, mean arterial pressure, and uterine artery pulsatility index to improve the biomarker component of early-pregnancy preterm preeclampsia prediction tests. Classification of the pregnant women according to the maternal characteristics of body mass index and/or race proved instrumental in achieving improved prediction. This suggests that maternal phenotyping can have a role in improving the prediction of obstetrical syndromes such as preeclampsia.

Embedded racism: Inequitable niche construction as a neglected evolutionary process affecting health

Racial health disparities are a pervasive feature of modern experience and structural racism is increasingly recognized as a public health crisis. Yet evolutionary medicine has not adequately addressed the racialization of health and disease, particularly the systematic embedding of social biases in biological processes leading to disparate health outcomes delineated by socially defined race. In contrast to the sheer dominance of medical publications which still assume genetic 'race' and omit mention of its social construction, we present an alternative biological framework of racialized health. We explore the unifying evolutionary-ecological principle of niche construction as it offers critical insights on internal and external biological and behavioral feedback processes environments at every level of the organization. We Integrate insights of niche construction theory in the context of human evolutionary and social history and phenotype-genotype modification, exposing the extent to which racism is an evolutionary mismatch underlying inequitable disparities in disease. We then apply ecological models of niche exclusion and exploitation to institutional and interpersonal racial constructions of population and individual health and demonstrate how discriminatory processes of health and harm apply to evolutionarily relevant disease classes and life-history processes in which socially defined race is poorly understood and evaluated. Ultimately, we call for evolutionary and biomedical scholars to recognize the salience of racism as a pathogenic process biasing health outcomes studied across disciplines and to redress the neglect of focus on research and application related to this crucial issue.

A national cohort study to investigate the association between ethnicity and the provision of care in obstetric anaesthesia in England between 2011 and 2021

There is evidence that ethnic inequalities exist in maternity care in the UK, but those specifically in relation to UK obstetric anaesthetic care have not been investigated before. Using routine national maternity data for England (Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care) collected between March 2011 and February 2021, we investigated ethnic differences in obstetric anaesthetic care. Anaesthetic care was identified using OPCS classification of interventions and procedures codes. Ethnic groups were coded according to the hospital episode statistics classifications. Multivariable negative binominal regression was used to model the relationship between ethnicity and obstetric anaesthesia (general and neuraxial anaesthesia) by calculating adjusted incidence ratios for the following: differences in maternal age; geographical residence; deprivation; admission year; number of previous deliveries; and comorbidities. Women giving birth vaginally and by caesarean section were considered separately. For women undergoing elective caesarean births, after adjustment for available confounders, general anaesthesia was 58% more common in Caribbean (black or black British) women (adjusted incidence ratio [95%CI] 1.58 [1.26-1.97]) and 35% more common in African (black or black British) women (1.35 [1.19-1.52]). For women who had emergency caesarean births, general anaesthesia was 10% more common in Caribbean (black or black British) women (1.10 [1.00-1.21]) than British (white) women. For women giving birth vaginally (excluding assisted vaginal births), Bangladeshi (Asian or Asian British), Pakistani (Asian or Asian British) and Caribbean (black or black British) women were, respectively, 24% (0.76 [0.74-0.78]), 15% (0.85 [0.84-0.87]) and 8% (0.92 [0.89-0.94]) less likely than British (white) women to receive neuraxial anaesthesia. This observational study cannot determine the causes for these disparities, which may include unaccounted confounders. Our findings merit further research to investigate potentially remediable factors such as inequality of access to appropriate obstetric anaesthetic care.