Black Superwomen More Likely to Have Pre-Term Births

Black women are twice as likely to have babies before the 37th week of their pregnancy…though 38-42 weeks is the norm.  Since we are more likely to give birth early, we are more likely to also have problems with our preganancy or our babies are more likely to have problems.  Supposedly 12% of Black women have a gene defect that causes a decrease in collagen…and collagen is the protein that strengthens the sac that the fetus grows in.  This decrease in collagen increases the chance of pre-term births.  Black women should eat healthy, exercise, take vitamins, stop smoking, and lose weight if they want to decrease their changes of pre-term births. [WJZ-TV 13 Baltimore]