Discrimination against pregnant mothers has been linked to low birth weight in their newborns.

From MadameNoire.com: A new study shows that the negative effects of discrimination and racism can last a lifetime, beginning when a child is still in the womb.

Buzz Feed reports:

Black women in America are over twice as likely as white women to give birth to babies with low birth weight, and socioeconomic and healthcare disparities don’t fully explain the difference. Since low birth weight can predispose people to lung disease, cardiovascular problems, and diabetes later in life, researchers have been looking for a reason why it’s linked to race. Now a study reveals one answer: discrimination against women can actually affect the weight of their babies.

The study, published online in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine published findings by Valerie Earnshaw and her colleagues from Yale University.  Their findings, after interviewing more than 1,000 black and Latina girls and women between the ages of 14 and 21, suggest that chronic, everyday instances of discrimination against pregnant, urban women of color may play a significant role in contributing to low birth weight babies. Medical News Today says low birth weight can result in fetal and prenatal morbidity, suppressed growth and slower cognitive development and chronic diseases later in the baby’s life.

Read the rest of this story on MadameNoire.com.

Article source: http://thegrio.com/2012/08/29/study-finds-racism-may-harm-pregnant-women-and-contribute-to-low-birth-weight-in-their-newborns/