Socioeconomic impacts on the intergenerational associations of preterm birth

Abstract

Background

The impact of socioeconomic status on intergenerational associations of preterm birth (PTB) is poorly understood.

Objective

To estimate the socioeconomic status of intergenerational impact of PTB transmission.

Study design

This retrospective cohort study included all eligible singleton female infants born in Nebraska from 1995 to 2005 (n = 6631) and followed up from 2009 to 2019. Mothers' first singleton infants born 2009–2019 were linked to the mothers and included in the description and generalized estimating equations.

Results

Mothers born PTB were 37% more likely to have a PTB infant after controlling for maternal and grandmother's prenatal care adequacy, maternal residential poverty, pre-pregnancy diabetes, hypertension, C-section, and infants' gender. In poor neighborhoods, the adjusted preterm odds ratio of former born preterm mothers (compared with mother not born PTB) was 1.56 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 2.38). Moreover, moving from a poor neighborhood to a relatively well-off neighborhood was a protective factor for PTB with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.47 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.95).

Conclusions

Mothers born preterm were at increased risk of having PTB infants, especially in poor areas. Maternal upward social mobility was a protective factor for PTB recurrence.

Keywords:

• Preterm birth
• intergenerational
• genetics
• social mobility
• neighborhood

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.