Maternal Nativity and Residence in US Territories and Preterm Birth

What is the risk of preterm birth in US territories compared with the US mainland?In this cross-sectional study of US birth certificate data from 28 627 700 births, individuals who were born and resided in US territories had a 30% increased risk of preterm birth compared with those who were born and resided on the mainland, an association that was modified by insurance status and prenatal care.These findings suggest that maternal territory status is associated with increased risk of preterm birth; this may be due to contextual factors that differ between the US territories and the mainland, such as policies impacting prenatal care access.

Corresponding Author: Diana Montoya-Williams, MD, MSHP, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, 2716 South St, Ste 19-361, Philadelphia, PA 19146 (montoyawid@chop.edu).

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