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Babies born too soon and too small struggle to survive those first few weeks and sometimes months of life. They are more likely to have developmental delays, chronic respiratory problems and vision or hearing impairment. The March of Dimes is dedicated to reducing the number of babies born early and/or too small; programs focus on education about the signs of preterm labor and research into the causes.
In 1990, 10.7% of New Jersey births were preterm - births occurring before the 37th week of pregnancy. By 2001 the number had risen to 12%. That means nearly 12% of the 13,882 babies born in New Jersey in 2001 were born too soon. During that same time period, the percentage of low birthweight babies - those born less than 5-1/2 pounds - increased from 7% to 7.9%. The rate of preterm birth in New Jersey is highest for African Americans (18.5%), followed by Hispanics (12.8%), Native Americans (12.7%), Whites (10.3%) and Asians (9.5%). |
