Preterm birth remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among nonanomalous
neonates, and is a major public health problem. Non-Hispanic black women have a 2-fold
greater risk for preterm birth compared with non-Hispanic white race. The reasons for this
disparity are poorly understood and cannot be explained solely by sociodemographic
factors. Underlying factors including a complex interaction between maternal, paternal, and
fetal genetics, epigenetics, the microbiome, and these sociodemographic risk factors likely …