In 2017–2019, the March of Dimes convened a workgroup with biomedical, clinical, and
epidemiologic expertise to review knowledge of the causes of the persistent Black-White …

The impact of stress on brain health begins in the womb. Both animal and human studies
have found that prenatal maternal stress affects the brain and behavior of the offspring …

Eliminating health disparities is a Healthy People goal. Given the diverse and sometimes
broad definitions of health disparities commonly used, a subcommittee convened by the …

The neonate is exposed to the maternal vaginal microbiota during parturition, providing the
primary source for normal gut colonization, host immune maturation, and metabolism. These …

This paper is the first in a three-part series on preterm birth, which is the leading cause of
perinatal morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Infants are born preterm at less …

The vaginal microbiota has importance in preserving vaginal health and defending the host
against disease. The advent of new molecular techniques and computer science has …

Psychological science on pregnancy is advancing rapidly. A major focus concerns stress
processes in pregnancy and effects on preterm birth and low birth weight. The current …

The implicit paradigm that has governed the study and clinical management of preterm
labour is that term and preterm parturition are the same processes, except for the gestational …

Preterm birth represents the most significant problem in maternal–child health in the United
States. It is the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity; its prevalence is unacceptably …

Abstract Background: In the United States, Black infants have significantly worse birth
outcomes than do White infants. The cause of these persisting racial disparities remains …