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The rate of preterm births remains alarmingly high in the U.S., according to the latest March of Dimes Report Card.
The figure was around 10.4% as of 2022 — just a 1% decline from 2021, when the preterm rate was at its highest in a decade.
Every year, the March of Dimes assigns each U.S. state a preterm birth “grade,” based on the share of babies born before 37 weeks’ gestation.
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Overall, the U.S. received a D+ in 2022.
Grades of F were given to eight southern states: Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky and West Virginia.
The rate of preterm births remains alarmingly high in the U.S., according to the latest March of Dimes Report Card. (iStock)
“Far too many communities are falling further behind when it comes to preterm birth,” said Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, president and CEO at March of Dimes in Arlington, Virginia, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Potential contributing factors
Chandani DeZure, M.D., a neonatal pediatric hospitalist in Palo Alto, California, and a BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board member, said that the new March of Dimes report is the result of three overarching problems. (She was not involved in the report.)
Those problems include lack of quality maternal and infant care, a lack of access to quality maternal and infant care that does exist, and racial disparities in the health care system.
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“These issues have not been appropriately addressed at the state or federal level, which is why there is little change in preterm birth statistics between 2022 and 2023,” DeZure told Fox News Digital.
The March of Dimes Report Card shows that 14 states saw an increase in preterm births in 2022.
“We’re looking at a number of factors to explain why, including inadequate prenatal care and high rates of hypertension, which we see in 13 states,” noted Cherot.
Premature births were 1.5 times higher among Black mothers compared to all other races and ethnicities, the report found. (iStock)
There are also higher shares of birthing women at unhealthy weights in 12 states and higher numbers of mothers with pre-pregnancy diabetes in six states, she pointed out.
“We also look at additional factors like increased Cesarean rates, changes in clinical practice, reduction in prenatal care and policy changes that may impact access to care.”
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States with higher rates of poverty among their residents were also found to have higher pre-term birth rates.
Breaking down the preterm births, 62.2% of the births involved multiple babies and 30% of the babies were born to mothers who had experienced prior preterm deliveries, the report stated.
“American families can’t afford to wait any longer for maternal health to be a priority in this country.”
Another 28.8% of the births involved mothers with diabetes, while 23.4% of the mothers had hypertension.
Around 15% of the preterm births were among mothers who smoked, while 12.3% of the mothers were at an unhealthy weight.
An expert called for access to “quality affordable health insurance that includes comprehensive reproductive and prenatal care.” (iStock)
Premature births were 1.5 times higher among Black mothers compared to all other races and ethnicities, the report found.
“The preterm birth rate for Black moms is 1.5 times higher than for White moms, and Black moms consistently face higher rates of chronic health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension, which could lead to poor outcomes,” Cherot noted.
Infant and maternal mortality
The March of Dimes report also included the latest statistics on the mortality of infants and mothers.
Maternal mortality — the death of a mother due to complications of pregnancy or childbirth — was at 17.4 deaths per 100,000 mothers as of 2021, nearly twice the rate in 2018.
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“The increase in maternal mortality is unacceptable and quite shocking for us as a country,” said Cherot.
“Our rates are among the highest when you look at other industrialized nations, and they continue to get worse, showing our country is going in the wrong direction.”
Statistics for communities of color are most dire, Cherot noted.
Another 28.8% of the births involved mothers with diabetes, while 23.4% of the mothers had hypertension. (iStock)
“Black women are twice as likely to face a pregnancy-related death,” she said.
Infant mortality has decreased over the last decade, at 5.4 deaths per 1,000 births as of 2021. The highest rates of infant mortality were seen in the South and Midwest regions.
“The increase in maternal mortality is unacceptable and quite shocking for us as a country.”
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