Report: Too many premature births in U.S.

The U.S. received embarrassingly low marks over premature births according to a “report card” issued last month by the March of Dimes.

Using data compiled since 2005, the report said that the country as a whole received a score of D while eighteen states and Puerto Rico received a failing grade. Unfortunately, the March of Dimes anticipates that the situation will continue to deteriorate as there’s been a steady increase of premature births since the beginning of the decade.

Why the trend of more premature births? According to health experts there are a variety of reasons including an increase in the number of C-sections, later motherhood, and more multiple births.

There are numerous risks attached to premature births including an increased chance of dying within one year of birth as well as being affected by hearing problems and cerebral palsy. Latinas are particularly susceptible to premature births; a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the March of Dimes:

Nearly 28,000 infants die before their first birthday each year – more than 5,000 to Latina mothers and more than 2,500 in California alone…

“Latinos are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. More than 100,000 Latino infants are born premature each year and the rate of preterm birth among Latinos has increased nearly 10 percent over the past decade – from 10.9 percent in 1994 to 12 percent in 2004,” said (Dr. Carolina Reyes, MD). “Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death.”

Image- CBS News
Sources- ScienceDaily, March of Dimes, washingtonpost.com, sfgate.com, WebMD, Los Angeles Times