Connecticut lowered its preterm birth rate, giving more babies a healthy start in life and contributing to the national five-year improving trend. Connecticut lowered its
preterm birth rate to 10.1 percent, but not enough to change its grade. It again earned a B on the report card.
“We’re proud that our state’s preterm birth rate is improving, thanks to the work of the March of Dimes and our partners. Connecticut’s progress means that more
In Connecticut the March of Dimes is supporting program such as CenteringPregnancy®, Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait, gestational diabetes education, as well as
preconception and prenatal programs that will help women have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.
Connecticut is part of a national trend toward improved preterm birth rates, as 40 states, including Connecticut, saw improvement in their preterm birth rates between 2010 and 2011. On the 2012 Report Card, 16 states got a better grade. Nationwide, the largest declines in preterm birth occurred among babies born at 34 to 36 weeks of pregnancy, but the improvement was across the board. Nationally, every racial and ethnic group benefitted, and the preterm birth rates for babies born at all stages of pregnancy improved.
Since 2006, Connecticut’s preterm birth rate has dropped to 10.1 percent. In Connecticut the rate of late preterm births is 7 percent; the rate of women smoking is 18.4 percent, and the rate of uninsured women is 13.9 percent.
The March of Dimes attributed the improved rates to an expansion of successful programs and interventions, including actions by state health officials here and
in 47 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, who formally set goals to lower their preterm birth rates 8 percent by 2014 from their 2009 rate.
“We will continue to work together to improve access to health care, help women quit smoking and, through our Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait consumer
education campaign, encourage women and health care providers to avoid scheduling a delivery before 39 weeks of pregnancy unless medically necessary,” said Botelho.
The United States again received a “C” on the March of Dimes Report Card. Grades are based on comparing each state’s and the nation’s 2011 preliminary preterm
birth rates with the March of Dimes 2020 goal of 9.6 percent of all live births. The U.S. preterm birth rate is 11.7 percent, a decline of more than 8 percent from the peak of 12.8 percent in 2006.
The Report Card information for the U.S. and states is available online at: marchofdimes.com/reportcard.
Preterm birth, birth before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, is a serious health problem that costs the United States more than $26 billion annually, according
to the Institute of Medicine. It is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, such as breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual
disabilities and others. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. At least 39 weeks of pregnancy are important to a baby’s health because many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until then.
On November 17th, partners from around the world will mark the Second World Prematurity Day in support of the Every Woman Every Child effort led by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. An estimated 15 million babies are born preterm and of those more than a million die as a result of their early birth, according to an October 2009
March of Dimes report on the global toll of preterm birth.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
