Objective: Infants of different racial groups were compared to determine if there is an effect of race on the short-term outcome of VLBW neonates. Methods: The NICHD Neonatal Research Network maintains a registry of all VLBW neonates (501-1500g) born +/or cared for at participating centers. Maternal and infant data are collected by chart review.Results: Between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 1995, 2023 infants were entered into the registry. Of these, 965 were black, 707 white, and 351 of other races. There were significant differences in the prenatal and perinatal histories of infants analyzed by race (Table). Black mothers were significantly more likely to be <18 years and were more likely to be unmarried and to have received no prenatal care. They were also more likely to have ROM >24h, and less likely to have received antenatal steroids and to have been delivered by C/S. By contrast, there were relatively few differences in early diagnoses, therapies, short-term outcome or mortality(15% B, 17% W, 15% O). Among survivors and nonsurvivors, there were no differences in length of stay. Black infants were significantly less likely to receive surfactants (47% B, 58% W, 54% O) and more likely to have surgery for a PDA (23% B, 11% W, 14% O). There were no significant differences by race in other complications, including RDS, CLD, NEC, or sepsis.Conclusion: Although there were differences by race in the prenatal histories of this VLBW cohort, these did not correspond to significant differences in initial morbidity or short-term complications.

Table 1
Full size table