Impact of paternal presence and parental social-demographic characteristics on birth outcomes

Objectives Maternal race, marital status, and social environment impact risk of preterm delivery and size for gestational age. Although some paternal characteristics such as age are associated with pregnancy outcomes, the influence of the paternal presence, race/ethnicity and adverse life events is not well known. The objective of the study was to assess birth outcomes in mothers with a paternal presence compared to those without during the post-partum period. The secondary aim was to determine whether paternal race is associated with birth outcomes. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using parental surveys linked with birth certificate data from 2016 to 2018. Adverse birth composite outcomes (ABCO) including small for gestational age (SGA), prematurity or neonatal intensive care unit admission (NICU) were assessed. Results A total of 695 parents were analyzed (239 single mothers and 228 mother-father pairs). Compared to mothers with a father present, mothers without a father present exhibited increased odds of ABCO, prematurity and NICU. Non-Hispanic Black fathers had increased odds of ABCO and NICU compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Hispanic fathers had increased odds of NICU compared to NHW. Conclusions Paternal absence in the post-partum period and paternal race were both independently associated with ABCO and NICU. Assessment of paternal presence and paternal race in clinical practice may help identify opportunities for additional support necessary to optimize birth outcomes.

The Association of Paternal Race and Ethnicity with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in a Contemporary U.S. Cohort

Objective Maternal racial and ethnic disparities exist in obstetric outcomes. The contribution of paternal race and ethnicity toward obstetric outcomes has been less well documented. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between paternal race and ethnicity and several adverse pregnancy outcomes. Study Design This was a retrospective cohort of birth data from the CDC National Vital Statistics, years 2013—2017. All singleton live births were included in the analysis. Records with missing paternal race and ethnicity were excluded. The primary dependent variables were the following adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes: gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, preterm birth <37 weeks, cesarean delivery, low birth weight <2,500 g, 5-minute Apgar's score <7, admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and assisted ventilation at > 6 hours of life. The main exposure was paternal race and ethnicity, which was grouped into non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and other. Other race and ethnicity category included: American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander. Univariable and multivariable analyses were done to determine whether paternal race and ethnicity was independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Results A total of 16,482,745 births were included. In univariable analysis, all adverse obstetric outcomes were significantly associated with paternal race and ethnicity. In multivariable analysis, controlling for maternal and paternal demographic characteristics and maternal clinical factors, paternal race and ethnicity remained significantly associated with the majority of the adverse pregnancy outcomes. The strongest association was seen with: (1) paternal non-Hispanic black race and ethnicity, and higher rates of LBW and preterm birth (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.24–1.27 and OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.13–1.15, respectively); (2) paternal Hispanic race and ethnicity and lower rates of 5-minute Apgar's score <7, and assisted ventilation at >6 hours of life (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.77–0.79, and OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.75–0.78, respectively); and (3) other paternal race and ethnicity and higher rates of gestational diabetes, but lower rates of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and assisted ventilation >6 hours of life (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.25–1.27; OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.78–0.80; and OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.78–0.82, respectively). All associations were in comparison to paternal non-Hispanic white race and ethnicity. Conclusion Paternal race and ethnicity has an independent association with adverse obstetric outcomes. The pathway and the extent of the paternal racial influence are not fully understood and deserve additional research.

Nulliparous teenagers and preterm birth in California

Background:Young maternal age is one of the numerous risk factors for delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, yet the mechanisms are unclear. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between teenagers and the risk of preterm birth (PTB) in a large and recent cohort study.Methods:We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using 2007–2011 California birth certificate records linked with hospital discharge indices and United States census data for nulliparous 13–20 year olds who gave birth to singletons. Maternal age was examined categorically at 1 year intervals. PTB was defined as delivery at <37 weeks of gestation with further distinction between <32 and 32–36 weeks, and between spontaneous and medically indicated deliveries. Adjusted multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for PTB.Results:The prevalence of PTB was highest among the youngest (13 year olds, 14.5%) and lowest among the oldest (20 year olds, 6.7%). After adjusting for maternal and paternal race/ethnicity, paternal age, initiation of prenatal care, source of payment, pre-pregnancy body-mass-index (BMI), height, smoking, and poverty; young mothers of ages 13, 14, 15, and 16 years had increased odds for spontaneous PTB at <32 weeks [OR (CI): 3.76 (1.83–7.75), 1.65 (1.10–2.48), 1.55 (1.24–1.93), 1.19 (1.00–1.42), respectively] compared to 20 year olds. All teenagers, excluding 19 year olds, had elevated odds of spontaneous PTB at 32–36 weeks.Conclusions:Nulliparous teenagers were at increased risk for spontaneous PTB, especially those 16 years or younger. Medically indicated PTB was not associated with young age.