INTRODUCTION Few studies examined socioeconomic contributors to racial disparities in low birth weight outcomes between African-American and Caucasian adolescent mothers. This cross-sectional study examined the intersections of maternal racial status, age, and neighborhood socioeconomic status in explaining these disparities in low birth weight outcomes across a statewide sample of adolescent m...

Seasonal patterns of birth outcomes have been observed worldwide, and there was increasing evidence that ambient temperature played as a trigger of adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and stillbirth. To systematically review updated epidemiological evidence about the relationship between temperature exposure during pregnancy and PTB, LBW, and stillbirth,...

BACKGROUND Significant and persistent racial and income disparities in birth outcomes exist in the US. The analyses in this manuscript examine whether adverse birth outcome time trends and associations between area-level variables and adverse birth outcomes differ by urban-rural status. METHODS Alabama births records were merged with ZIP code-level census measures of race, poverty, and rurali...

czema is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the skin that affects as much as 30% of children. It often afflicts infants in the first few months of life and can be the first indicator of the atopic march. Recent results from birth cohort studies have uncovered novel information about genetic and environmental factors that promote the development of eczema. Birth cohort studies provide an optimal...

BACKGROUND Differences in birth characteristics and infant mortality rates by marital status and birth registration type reflect complex underlying factors. In particular, births registered solely by the mother are seen as a disadvantaged group. This article analyses the socio-demographic characteristics of births by registration type and parents' marital status and explores these differences f...