Racial/ethnic disparities in neonatal morbidities among very preterm infants appear to be sizable, but may have been underestimated in previous studies, and may have implications for the future, according to a recent investigation. This population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted in New York City using linked birth certificate, mortality data, and hospital discharge data from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2014. Racial/ethnic disparities in very preterm birth morbidities were estimated through 2 approaches, conventional analysis and fetuses-at-risk analysis. 582,297 infants were included in this study. Researchers found:

• Using the conventional approach in the very preterm birth subcohort, black compared with white infants had an increased risk of only bronchopulmonary dysplasia and a borderline increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis.
• Hispanic infants had a borderline increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, and Asian infants had an increased risk of retinopathy of prematurity.
• In the fetuses-at-risk analysis, black infants had a 4.40 times higher rate of necrotizing enterocolitis, a 2.73 times higher rate of intraventricular hemorrhage, a 4.43 times higher rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and a 2.98 times higher rate of retinopathy of prematurity.