Race gap seen in U.S. infant deaths after fertility treatment: report

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Black-white disparities exist in fertility medicine, reflected in life-and-death outcomes for U.S. babies, U.S. News &World Report on Wednesday cited a large study of U.S. births.

"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," said the report.

Infant deaths are rare in the United States, 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, according to the report.

"The steep cost of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and the scarcity of insurance coverage means women getting fertility care are wealthier on average," it said.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is the broadest look yet at racial gaps for women who use IVF, fertility drugs or other fertility treatments, it added.