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Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., Annals PrePrint, published online ahead of print October 22, 2007 doi: 10.1196/annals.1425.016 Copyright © 2007 by the New York Academy of Sciences description
1 Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N. 15th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19102, United States; , United States 2 Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N. 15th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19102, United States
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rgoldenb{at}drexelmed.edu. PrePrint Abstract
Pregnancy outcomes in the United States are generally worse than in most developed countries. Contributing to these adverse outcomes are the relatively high levels of poverty in the United States, a characteristic that is associated with decreased utilization of appropriate prenatal care and delivery services as well as having an increased number of other risk factors. Poor women tend to be more obese, have higher numbers of medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, be more likely to be stressed or depressed, and to smoke cigarettes and use illicit drugs. Some of the potential mechanisms that explain the association between these characteristics and adverse pregnancy outcomes—focusing on preterm birth—are presented. Key Words:
Pregnancy outcomes, preterm birth, poverty
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