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U.S. Preterm Birth Rate Still Only Merits a D Publish date: Nov 17, 2009  TUESDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In terms of premature births, the United States earned a D for the second consecutive
year, according to a report issued Nov. 17 by the March of Dimes. During the past year, only seven states improved their performance by one letter grade and two scored more poorly than
they did the previous year, according to the report. No states received an A, and only Vermont received a B. Grade criteria
were determined by comparing preterm birth rates to the national Healthy People 2010 preterm birth objective: 7.6 percent
of all live births. Still, researchers found that 33 states and the District of Columbia reduced the percentage of women of childbearing age
who smoke, 21 states and the District of Columbia reduced the percent of uninsured women of childbearing age, and 27 states
plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico lowered the late preterm birth rate. "We have a long way to go before all babies in America get a healthy start in life, but the good news is that many states
are taking action to prevent preterm birth and help women have full-term pregnancies," Jennifer L. Howse, M.D., president
of the March of Dimes in White Plains, N.Y., said in a statement. "We are working closely with officials at hospitals and
health insurance providers to identify successful programs that can be shared with others to help us continue along a path
of improvement." Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved. | Featured Jobs Practice Tools Coding Counselor Simple and accurate ICD-9 code search. Start Here  Patient Education Print customized patient education handouts. Start Here  Dermatology Diagnosis Identify skin diseases by age, gender, location. Start Here  AHRQ Clinical Guidelines Objective findings on medical interventions. Start Here     |
