The effect of ethnicity on preterm birth and its influence on the risk factors for prematurity

Preterm birth (PTB) affects 9.6% of pregnancies worldwide and is associated with a very high perinatal mortality that depends on the gestational age at delivery. As a result, PTB has a significant health and financial impact on health systems, families and societies. Its aetiology is not fully understood, but in most cases it is multifactorial, with several maternal, paternal, and epidemiological factors associated with increased risk. Other factors include parental ethnicity, maternal age and body mass index, socioeconomic status, and where the families live. This review examines the influence of ethnicity as an individual risk factor for PTB. It also explores its influence on the epidemiology of PTB and demonstrates that data on certain ethnicities are lacking, despite the fact that these ethnic clusters are within the very ‘high-risk groups’ that are adequately represented in some Western societies. This review examines the influence of ethnicity as an individual risk factor for PTB and also explores its influence on the different epidemiological aspects. A thorough revisit of the ethnic epidemiology unveiled other unnoticed risk factors that if addressed appropriately prematurity can be prevented. Moreover, certain ethnicities were not within the attention of researchers, despite the facts that they are very ‘high-risk groups’ and are also adequately represented in some Western societies.