In fact, the United States has a high rate of preterm birth compared to top scoring states and, notably, most industrialized countries. More than half a million babies are born preterm here every year.
"Our country has one of the highest rates of preterm birth in the world," said U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin. "We have to do better."
Preterm birth, birth before 37 weeks gestation, 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 infants born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. The last few weeks of pregnancy are critical to a baby because many important organs, including the brain, are not completely developed until then.
Overall, the United States received a "D" on the report card, which measures national preterm birth rates against the Healthy People 2010 goals.
Seventeen states earned a "C," 20 received a "D," and 13 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico failed.
But the good news is, our preterm birth rate numbers are slowly dropping.
Most states saw improvement in at least one of the three contributing factors the March of Dimes tracks:
- 28 states and Puerto Rico reduced the percentage of women of childbearing age who smoke;
- 17 states and the District of Columbia reduced the percentage of uninsured women of childbearing age;
- 37 states and Puerto Rico lowered the late preterm birth rate, infants born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation.
This promising upswing is part of a two-year decline in the preterm birth rate -- the numbers dropped 4% from 2006 to 2008. The March of Dimes says 79 percent of the decline was among babies born only a few weeks too soon.
While it may not seem like much, consider this is after three decades of increases.
"The policy changes and programs to prevent preterm birth that our volunteers and staff have worked so hard to bring about are starting to pay off," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.
"The two-year decline we have seen nationwide, though small, are encouraging. We believe this decline is the beginning of a trend, but must be supported by better health care, new research and adoption of intervention programs to lower the risk of preterm birth," said Howse.
Quitting smoking, early pre-conception and prenatal care, progesterone treatments for women with a history of preterm birth, avoiding multiples from fertility treatments and avoiding unnecessary c-sections and inductions before 39 weeks of pregnancy are among the known strategies that can lower the risk of an early birth.
The March of Dimes released its 2010 report card today, the 8th Annual Prematurity Awareness Day, when the nation is asked to focus attention on the growing problem of premature birth.
