Posted On: November 13, 2008
March of Dimes Releases Premature Birth Report Card
On Wednesday the March of Dimes released its first “report card” on premature birth rates in the United States. With many States receiving failing grades and a national average of 12.7% the overall grade for the U.S was a “D.”
Premature birth defined here as delivery before 37 weeks gestation affects 530,000 children each year and is major cause of cerebral palsy, blindness, jaundice, hearing loss and other serious conditions.
The goal of the study was bring awareness and to determine what States are doing and need to do to lower the rate of premature babies to reach the goal of 7.6% by 2010 set by The National Healthy People.
For more information on individual States and what you can do to help please click here.
Bookmark: 
