Race disparity observed in U.S. infant deaths after fertility treatment

Black-white disparities exist in fertility medicine, reflected in life-and-death outcomes for babies, according to a large study of U.S. births.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics, is the broadest look yet at racial gaps for women who use in vitro fertilization, fertility drugs or other fertility treatments. Researchers found higher death rates for infants born to Black women who used such treatments than white women who did the same — a gap that is much wider than in babies born without those treatments.

Infant deaths are rare in the U.S., and the reasons for poor outcomes are unclear. Researchers saw racial gaps even after adjusting for age, diabetes, obesity, smoking and other maternal risk factors.

The steep cost of IVF and the scarcity of insurance coverage means women getting fertility care are wealthier on average.

The findings suggest women seeking fertility treatment are not protected from racism despite their relative affluence, said Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, head of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California San Diego medical school.

“These women are still experiencing the same racism that might be causing poor outcomes in other pregnancies,” said Gyamfi-Bannerman, who was not involved in the study. “We all need to pay more attention and see how we can find a solution.”

Black women who use fertility treatments may not be getting the highest quality care during pregnancy and after childbirth, said Dr. Michael A. Thomas, who will become the first Black

president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine next week.

“The IVF patients, they work so hard to get there that they don’t allow anything to stand in the way of that baby getting a good outcome,” said Thomas, who chairs the OB-GYN department at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “But is the Black patient getting that same high-level, priority, concierge treatment?”