摘要：Preterm birth can be easily described as a black man’s problem with strong evidence to support the seemingly sweeping claim. Since 2016, there has been a yearly increase in the prevalence of preterm births among non-Hispanic blacks as released by the National Center for Health Statistics of the United States in 2018 [1]. Some of the children survive the immediate problems surrounding being born preterm, but this does not guarantee a healthy life thereafter. “Her baby was 7 weeks premature, and is fighting pneumonia. If Lerma departs, the hospital will no longer pay for the medication” [2]. But, the sufferings of children like Lerma’s are life-long because survivors of preterm birth have an increased risk of long-term memory deficits and associated hippocampal alterations” [3] These scenarios are familiar among non-Hispanic black women who are twice as likely to experience preterm birth [4] compared with women of the non-Hispanic white race; but should this continue? The rise of current global trends of disturbing racial disparity of preterm birth should not continue, especially with a little light shining in the dark; the light of a possible panacea! This possible panacea was announced by Helsinki researchers who stumbled upon the possible missing link in the racial disparity in preterm birth as reported in June 2018 [5].
