UCLA obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Michael Lu believes that for many women of color, racism over a life time, not just during the nine months of pregnancy, increases the risk of preterm delivery. To improve birth outcomes, Lu argues, we must address the conditions that impact women's health not just when they become pregnant but from childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.
Racial segregation in many American cities, including New York, Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit, is comparable to South Africa under apartheid. (Massey, 2004)