Originally published February 8 2006
Pediatric study determines that race and gender factor into the survival of premature babies
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Pediatrics has published a study of premature births conducted by researchers at the University of Florida, who found that gender and race impacted the survival rates of babies born at 2.2 pounds or less.
Black baby girls born weighing 2.2 pounds or less are more than twice as likely to survive as white baby boys born at the same weight, when many preemies are still too tiny to make it on their own, according to new research.
In a study of more than 5,000 premature births, University of Florida researchers pinpointed a link between gender and race and the survival rates of babies born at extremely low weights.
Girls had nearly twice the odds of surviving as baby boys did, and black infants also had a slight survival advantage over whites, the research found.
Overall, black baby girls were twice as likely to survive compared with white baby boys, 1.8 times more likely to survive than black boys and 1.3 times more likely to live than white baby girls.
"When you're talking about survival, that's very significant," said Dr. Steven Morse, the study's lead author.
"We have known in general that females tend to have better survival rates than males and blacks better than whites.
Morse said he doesn't know why girls and black infants have better chances of survival.
Nationwide, nearly 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Only about 1 percent of all babies born weigh less than 2 pounds, and one of the first questions parents of these infants ask is if their child will live, said Morse, a neonatologist who works with families every day.
Because their organs have not had as much time to develop, these tiny babies are at the highest risk for disabling health problems, and doctors and families often struggle to decide what life-saving measures should be taken, if any, Morse said.
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