Preterm babies are on the rise. How to help fight for healthy families.

As the mother of a child born at 28 weeks, I like to get involved in National Prematurity Month by spreading awareness and promoting healthy pregnancies.

This is me in the NICU in 2002. (Read more about our story here)

 
Picture of mom holding premature baby in the NICU.
 

Sadly, our country is not headed in the right direction.

Where the United States stands on National Prematurity Rates

According to the recent National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the prematurity rate has risen again for the fourth straight year in a row.

 
Premature birth rate is on the rise graph. Prematurity awareness month.
 

They define premature or preterm birth as a birth with less than 37 weeks gestation based on the obstetric estimate of gestational age.

March of Dimes used this data to issue a 2019 Report Card for all 50 states.

March of Dimes preterm birth rates and grades by state.

Download a PDF of the report here to see how your state ranks (here).

Why should we be so concerned?

  • Babies born premature miss out on the important growth and development that happens in the final weeks.

  • Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality.

  • Babies who survive can have short- and long-term health problems.

(source: CDC found here)

CDC has identified five key strategies proven to reduce preterm births:

  1. Prevent unintended pregnancies and achieve an ideal length of time between pregnancies (birth spacing).

  2. Provide women ages 18–44 years access to health care before and between pregnancies to help manage chronic conditions and modify other risk behaviors, such as smoking;

  3. Identify women at risk for giving birth too early and offer effective treatments to prevent preterm birth;

  4. Discourage deliveries before 39 weeks without a medical need; and

  5. When in vitro fertilization is used, elect to transfer just one embryo, as appropriate, to reduce multiple births.

 
 

How can a woman reduce her risk of preterm labor and other pregnancy complications?

According to the March of Dimes, women looking to get pregnant should

  • Stop smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs.

  • Try to get to a healthy weight

  • See your provider about any health conditions you have, like diabetes and high blood pressure

  • Avoid infections: Wash your hands often. Don’t eat raw meat. Call your provider if you feel burning when you go to the bathroom.

  • Reduce stress in your life.

  • Wait at least 18 months between pregnancies

  • Take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.

If you’re not pregnant or looking to get pregnant but would like to know ways to support women who are, here are a few suggestions.

Five ways YOU can support mothers and spread awareness during National Prematurity Month.

  1. Spread awareness by sharing the video above with the hashtag #itsnotfine

  2. Volunteer and get involved in local events. (here)

  3. Learn more about the March of Dimes NICU Family Support programs. (here)

  4. Sign the March of Dimes petition to fight for the health and lives of all moms. (here).

  5. Donate. When you donate November 6-13, your gift will be matched to double your impact. Your gift funds lifesaving research and community programs that support healthy moms and strong babies. (here)

 
Preterm babies on the rise. How to help fight for healthy families.
 

Finally, let’s think bigger. Let’s advocate for healthy families on national level.

Take action on federal programs and initiatives by learning more (here)

What changes can policymakers do to turn prematurity birth rate statistics around?

  1. Protect comprehensive health care coverage for moms and children

  2. Provide affordable, quality public health insurance programs to women before pregnancy, an essential time to intervene to achieve healthy pregnancies

  3. Extended Medicaid coverage for postpartum moms

  4. Improve mom and baby health through expansion of group prenatal care

  5. Advance our understanding of the causes of maternal death

  6. Eliminate racial disparities in health outcomes for moms and babies

  7. Remove barriers to obtaining quality care in underserved and rural communities

  8. Increase investments in public health programs to promote healthy moms and strong babies.

(Source: March of Dimes based on data from CDC: maternal mortality review committees (MMRC), Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), National Vital Statistics System NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). CDC: Perinatal Quality Collaboratives

AwarenessLia Kurtin