March of Dimes Releases Premature Birth Report Card

November 12 marked the nation's 6th Annual Prematurity Awareness Day, a time when the March of Dimes mobilizes volunteers and parents to draw attention to preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation), which affects more than 530,000 babies each year in the United States.

This year, to mark the day, the March of Dimes released the first of what will be an annual Premature Birth Report Card. The report card and the March of Dimes 2008 petition elevate the problem of preterm birth onto the healthcare agenda of our new president and Congress. The March of Dimes invites all Americans to sign the petition.

According to the report card, the nation received a "D," and not a single state earned an "A," when the March of Dimes compared actual preterm birth rates to the national Healthy People 2010 objective. The only state to earn a "B" was Vermont. Eight others earned a "C," 23 states earned a "D," and 18 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia got failing grades of "F."

"It is unacceptable that our nation is failing so many preterm babies," said Jennifer L. Howse, PhD, president of the March of Dimes. "We are determined to find and implement solutions to prevent preterm birth, based on research, best clinical practices and improved education for moms."

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in the first month of life in the United States. The preterm birth rate has increased almost 20 percent since 1990, and costs the nation more than $26 billion a year, according to the July 2006 Institute of Medicine report.

Babies who survive a premature birth face the risk of serious life-long health problems including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss and other chronic conditions including asthma. Even infants born just a few weeks too soon have a greater risk of breathing problems, feeding difficulties, hypothermia (temperature instability), jaundice and delayed brain development.

The Report Card also is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, the National Business Group on Health, the American Benefits Council and dozens of other business and maternal and infant health organizations.

The Report Card calls for

• Expanded federal support for prematurity-related research to uncover the causes of premature birth and lead not only to strategies for prevention, but also improved care and outcomes for preterm infants.
• Hospital leaders to voluntarily review all cesarean-section births and inductions of labor that occur before 39 weeks gestation, in an effort to reverse America's rising preterm birth rate. The review should ensure that all c-sections and inductions meet established professional guidelines.
• Policymakers to improve access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and support smoking cessation programs as part of maternity care.
• Businesses to create workplaces that support maternal and infant health, such as providing private areas to pump breast milk, access to flextime and information about how to have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.