Inequities in birth outcomes are staying consistent—if not widening—between economic groups, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Utah and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The study was published March 2 in JAMA Pediatrics. Emily Dore, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, was corresponding author. Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, was senior author.
No recent studies have investigated disparities in birth outcomes according to poverty status in the U.S. The researchers filled this gap by examining data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a federal collection of data on pregnancy and birth outcomes across states. (The federal government eliminated funding for PRAMS in April 2025.) The data, spanning 2012 to 2022, captured outcomes including preterm birth and low birth weight.
The study found that individuals living below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) have consistently higher rates of poor birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, compared to those living above 200% of the FPL. And certain inequities have grown, such as that for low birth weight, which increased 2.2 percentage points (7.2% in 2012 to 9.4% in 2022) for those below 200% of FPL, but only 0.6% percentage points (5.7%-6.3%) for those above 200% of FPL.
According to the researchers, the findings “point to the need for more support during pregnancy and birth for low-income families.” They also highlighted the importance of restoring funding to PRAMS. “It is essential to collect PRAMS survey data to enable continued examination of these trends and identify potential solutions to reverse growing maternal and infant health inequities,” they wrote.
Read the study:
Trends in Poverty and Birth Outcomes in the US
Learn more:
With federal maternal health database in limbo, a risk to mother and infant health (Harvard Chan news)
