Table 2.
Characteristics of mother-child dyads in the Boston Birth Cohort by the two linked study protocols: Preterm Birth Study and Children’s Health Study
| Preterm Birth Study | Children’s Health Study | |
|---|---|---|
| *N | 8623 mother/infant dyads | 3394 children |
| Maternal characteristics at delivery | ||
| Maternal age, years | 28 (23-33) | 28 (23-33) |
| Null parity, % | 43 | 43 |
| *Asian American Pacific Islander, % | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| *African American and non-Hispanic Black, % | 32.5 | 39 |
| *Cabo Verdean, % | 4.3 | 4.9 |
| *Haitian, % | 14.9 | 19.8 |
| *Hispanic, % | 28.3 | 22 |
| *Multi-ethnic, % | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| *White, % | 11.9 | 7.4 |
| *Did not identify race or ethnicity, % | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| Education (College or above), % | 36 | 36 |
| Married, % | 35 | 33 |
| US born, % | 38 | 39 |
| High stress during pregnancy, % | 19 | 19 |
| Smoking during pregnancy, % | 19 | 18 |
| Alcohol consumption, % | 9 | 8 |
| Pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity, % | 48 | 52 |
| Pre- or gestational diabetes, % | 11 | 12 |
| Cesarean section, % | 33 | 36 |
| Age at menarche, years | 13 (12-14) | 13 (12-14) |
| Child characteristics | ||
| Child age, years | - | 14 (12-18) |
| Boy, % | 50 | 50 |
| % Preterm birth (<37 weeks), % | 27 | 29 |
| % Low birthweight (<2500 g), % | 26 | 28 |
*
N represents the complete cleaned dataset used for current analysis and not total accrual. Data are presented as % or median (interquartile range). Self-reported maternal race and ethnicity were defined as a socially constructed identity, not a biological or genetic category.