One in ten Washington infants born prematurely

One in ten of Washington infants is born premature, according to a new report by the March of Dimes.

The figure and the state’s lack of progress in reducing its premature birth rate prompted the organization to give Washington a “C” grade on its annual Premature Birth Report Card.

The grade reflects how close the state is to achieving a target rate for 2010 of 7.6 percent, which set as part of a national health-improvement initiative called Healthy People 2010.

A infant born after 39 weeks of pregnancy is considered full-term. An infant born before the 37th week of a pregnancy is considered preterm or premature.

Children born premature are at higher risk for many complications ranging from mild learning disabilities to life-threatening conditions, depending how early in the pregnancy they were born and how far their development had progressed.

Using data from 2007, the latest available, 10.6 percent of infants in Washington state are born prematurely, the March of Dimes report found.

Overall, the U.S. had a national premature birth rate of 12.7 percent, earning the nation a grade of “D”.

For comparison, the prematurity rate in Europe is 6.2 percent.

Jill Johnston of Bainbridge Island tells the story of her child’s premature birth.

Washington state’s statistics are “sobering”, Elaine Noonan, director of the March of Dimes’ Washington Chapter, said at a press conference at the University of Washington Medical Center announcing the report card results.

The Washington rate means that each year nearly 10,000 babies in Washington state are born “too small,” she said. “This week alone, 183 more babies will be born prematurely.”

In addition to the health problems associated with prematurity, premature births drive up the cost of health care, Noonan said. “The average full-term birth will cost an employer approximately $3,900,” she said. “A baby born premature will cost an employer an average of $46,000 and can run as high as a million dollars or more.”

Nationally, Vermont earned the top grade of “B” with a prematurity rate of 9.2, still well short of the Healthy People 2010 goal.

Vermont was the only state to rate a “B” grade. No state scored an “A”.

Among the states, Mississippi came in last with a rate of 18.3 percent. The highest prematurity rate was seen in Puerto Rico, where 19.4 percent of infants are born premature.

Washington state’s rate of 10.6 percent was better than its 2006 rate of 11 percent, but no better than its rate in 2005.

The report card also tracks three factors that contribute to risk of birth complications: the percentage of women without health insurance, the percentage of women who smoke, and the percentage of births that are what are called “late preterm births”, those that occur in the 34th to 36th week of pregnancy.

Since the last year’s report card, the percentage of women of child-bearing age in the state lacking health insurance has crept up from 14.7 percent to 15.1 percent—meaning 228,000 women of child-bearing age in the state lack health insurance.

Without insurance coverage, pregnant women are less likely to get prenatal care that reduces the risk of having a preterm delivery and other complications.

The percentage of women of child-bearing age in the state who smoke, however, improved, dropped from 19 percent to 16.5 percent. Mothers who smoke are more likely to give birth to premature and low-weight infants.

The rate of late preterm births stayed the same at 7.8 percent.

In recent years, the rate of late preterm births have been rising as more women are having labor induced or are undergoing voluntary cesarian sections (c-sections).

Dr. Monica Anselmetti, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Olympia Medical Center and Group Health Cooperative, urged physicians to follow the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines that recommend that infants should be delivered before 39 weeks only when medical necessary.

“Elective c-sections and inductions can be dangerous for the baby,” she said. “Even a week too soon poses a risk.”

“I urge every pregnant woman to talk to her doctor about the risks of elective c-sections or inductions so you understand all your choices. Nine months of a healthy pregnancy is the best gift you can give your future baby,” she said.

To learn more:

• Read the report which can be found on the March of Dimes Web site.
• Visit the Web site of the March of Dimes’ Washington Chapter.
• Visit the Health People 2010 Web site.

Tags: March of Dimes, Premature Births

Category: Child & Youth Health, Genetics & Birth Defects, Newborn and Infant Health, Pregnancy