Understanding Racial Disparities of Preterm Birth Through the Placenta

The racial disparity associated with preterm birth is a public health concern in the United States. placenta principal metabolic, respiratory, and endocrine organ of fetus key route by which environmental exposures are transmitted from mother to offspring. Available at every delivery, it may serve as marker differences prenatal that manifest differently race. Recently, we described placental pathology between African-American White births: prevalence chronic inflammation was higher among women's placentas compared those women. Similarly, have been shown malperfusion weight. Social determinants such poverty stress discrimination implicated disparities birth. To date, however, underlying biological mechanisms, whether through inflammatory, oxidative stress, or other pathways involving epigenetic programming, remain largely unknown. placenta, complemented maternal umbilical cord blood biomarkers, provide important information on perinatal environment explains origins rates subsequent outcomes. This article reviews existing literature current research gaps. Opportunities discussed for future reveal novel mechanisms leading development new approaches prevention management its