Nation gets a “D” ; Vermont Receives a “B”-  the best Grade in the Nation

MARCH OF DIMES PREMATURE BIRTH REPORT CARD

 

(Burlington, VT, NOV. 12, 2008) - The United States is failing hundreds of thousands of its youngest citizens on the day they are born, according to the March of Dimes.  Vermont leads the nation, but can still do more to prevent premature birth.

In the first of what will be an annual Premature Birth Report Card, the nation received a “D” and not a single state earned an “A,” when the March of Dimes compared actual preterm birth rates to the national Healthy People 2010 objective. The grade of B indicates how far Vermont with a preterm birth rate of 9.0% is from the Healthy People 2010 objective of 7.6 percent of all live births. Latest available data (2005) show that the national preterm birth rate is 12.7 percent. 

Vermont is the only state to earn a “B”. Eight states earned a “C,” 23 states earned a “D,” and 18 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia got failing grades of “F.”

“It is unacceptable that our nation is failing so many preterm babies,” said Jennifer L. Howse, PhD, president of the March of Dimes. “We are determined to find and implement solutions to prevent preterm birth, based on research, best clinical practices, and improved education for moms.”

In addition to providing state rankings, the March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card analyzes contributing factors and prevention opportunities, including rates of late preterm birth, smoking, and uninsured women of child-bearing age. In Vermont, the rate of late preterm births is 6.4%; the rate of women smoking is 20.8%, and the rate of uninsured women is 14.5% compared to national rates of 9.1% for late preterm births; 21.2% for the rate of women smoking; and 20.1% for the rate of uninsured women.

Vermont officials and experts attribute its relatively low preterm birth rate to best practices, quality improvement programs for hospitals and state-sponsored health insurance programs that include pregnancy benefits. “In Vermont, we have a low rate of uninsured women, a high rate of early prenatal care, and good communications and data-sharing between hospitals and maternal-infant health experts in the state.  We also have intensive drug abuse treatment programs for pregnant women,” said Roger C. Young, MD, PhD, professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, and director of the Division of General Obstetrics & Gynecology at Fletcher Allen Health Care.  Dr. Young is a member of the March of Dimes National Board of Trustees. “In addition, Fletcher Allen, the state’s academic medical center, is home to Vermont’s only Maternal Fetal Medicine Service, which provides comprehensive prenatal care to women at high risk for pregnancy complications.  The hospital also operates the state’s only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where our most at-risk premature infants receive top quality, state of the art care.” 

  “The Report Card illustrates the importance of ensuring every pregnant woman in Vermont has access to health coverage, and it further stresses the value of smoking prevention and cessation,” added Eleanor Capeless, MD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and member of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Fletcher Allen Health Care.  Dr. Capeless is the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign Chair in Vermont. “Our local March of Dimes Chapter has been very successful in addressing these issues in Vermont and will continue to make them a March of Dimes advocacy priority.”

The Report Card also calls for specific action steps to reduce preterm bith :

·         Expanded federal support for prematurity-related research to uncover the causes of premature birth and lead not only to strategies for prevention, but also improved care and outcomes for preterm infants.

·         Hospital leaders to voluntarily review all Cesarean-section births and inductions of labor that occur before 39 weeks gestation, in an effort to reverse America’s rising preterm birth rate.  The review should ensure that all c-sections and inductions meet established professional guidelines.

·         Policymakers to improve access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and to support smoking cessation programs as part of maternity care.

·         Businesses to create workplaces that support maternal and infant health, such as providing private areas to pump breast milk, access to flextime, and information about how to have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.

November 12^th marks the nation’s 6^th Annual Prematurity Awareness Day, a time when the March of Dimes mobilizes volunteers and parents to draw attention to premature birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation), which affects more than 530,000 babies each year in the United States. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and a major cause of lifelong disability.

In this election year, the March of Dimes invites all Americans to help send a message to our new President and to federal and state lawmakers by signing the 2008 Petition for Preemies at marchofdimes.com/petition.

The purpose of the Petition and the Report Card is to raise public awareness of the growing crisis of preterm birth so elected and appointed officials will commit more resources to address this problem and policymakers will support development of strategies that benefit mothers and babies.

The Report Card also is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, the National Business Group on Health, the American Benefits Council and dozens of other businesses and maternal and infant health organizations. 

“From a public health perspective, improving maternal-infant outcomes is one of the most cost-effective preventive practices we know,” said Wendy Davis, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health. “Vermont has several highly successful initiatives in place that seek to better outcomes for newborns, such as our nationally renowned Women, Infants & Children Program, that provide a foundation for collaborative relationships between hospital-based staff, maternal/child health experts and community-based health professionals. We will continue to work to improve the quality of care, and the system in which families seek care."

The March of Dimes says that in 2009, Report Card grades will reflect state actions taken that have the potential to reduce preterm birth rates in future years.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in the first month of life in the United States. The preterm birth rate has increased more than 20 percent since 1990 and costs the nation more than $26 billion a year, according to the Institute of Medicine report issued in July 2006.

            Babies who survive a premature birth face the risk of serious life-long health problems including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, and other chronic conditions including asthma. Even infants born just a few weeks too soon have a greater risk of breathing problems, feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice and delayed brain development.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  Its mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.  For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org