Preterm birth and infant mortality measures in U.S. remain stubbornly high
In the U.S., 14.6% of Black babies were born preterm, compared to 9.4% of white babies and 9% of Asian babies. Preterm birth is responsible for nearly 16% of infant deaths.
Preterm births and infant mortality are at alarming levels in the U.S., according to a new report published on Thursday by March of Dimes. In 2022, 10.4% of all babies were born premature — before 37 weeks of gestation — a slight improvement after the decade-high 10.5% peak of 2021, but still higher than the global average of 9.9%. This makes the U.S. the country with the highest risk of preterm birth among its wealthy peers: In the U.K., for instance, the rate is 7.6%; in Italy, it’s 6.8%; in Japan, it was around 5%.
“This year’s report shows the state of infant and maternal health in the United States remains at crisis-level, with grave disparities that continue to widen the health equity gap,” said March of Dimes President and CEO Elizabeth Cherot, in a statement.
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