Black newborns are more likely to survive childcare if cared for by Black doctors, according to a study published Monday.
IN study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that Black babies were three times more likely to die in hospital than white newborns when cared for by white doctors. When Black doctors cared for Black babies, the mortality rate was reduced by half.
The largest decrease in Black newborn mortality was “noticeable” in complex births and in hospitals that produce more Black babies, according to the researchers.
The race of the doctor caring for white babies did not make much difference to the chances of survival.
Researchers for the study analyzed 1.8 million hospital birth records in Florida between 1992 and 2015 and determined the race of doctors responsible for each beech.
The researchers concluded that the difference in mortality rates could be attributed to “racial concordance between the doctor and patient born.”
The study found no statistically significant association between the risk of fatal mortality and the mother’s race.
The research follows on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of last year that found that Black babies were more than twice as likely to die for their first birthday, even if statistically checked for a mother’s income or education level.
While in the U.S. overall the percentage of child life has decreased, the inequality between white and black child mortality has increased.
The US is only ahead of three other countries for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for child mortality: Mexico, Turkey and Chile. More than 22,000 infant deaths were reported in 2017 before reaching their first birthdays, and Black babies died at twice the rate of white, Asian and Latin children, according to the CDC.
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