Income and Race: Factors in US Preterm Birth Trends

Medscape January 12, 2026
Edited by Manasi Talwadekar

TOPLINE:

Preterm birth rates in the US increased among low-income households from 2011 to 2021, with Black mothers experiencing the highest rates across all income levels. Black mothers had higher risks for preterm births than White mothers in both the highest and lowest income groups.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 2011 to 2021 to assess whether the association between income and preterm birth varied among different racial and ethnic groups in the US.
• They analyzed data of 411,469 mother-infant dyads.
• Participants were categorized by self-reported household income: less than 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL), 100%-199% of the FPL, and 200% or more of the FPL.
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