Tennessee gets ‘D’ for preterm babies

Hamilton County leads state

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The number of babies born prematurely in Tennessee increased from 2015 to 2016, a trend that underscores disparities in women’s health around the state, a maternal health expert said.

Overall, Tennessee earned a “D” for its preterm birth rate of 11.3 percent in 2016 from the March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization focused on pregnancy and the health of babies. The counties with the highest preterm birth rates in the state are: › Hamilton: 13 percent › Shelby: 12.6 percent › Rutherford: 10.5 percent

› Davidson: 10.4 percent › Knox: 9.7 percent › Montgomery: 9 percent

The data is troubling to Dr. Kimberlee WycheEthridge, assistant director for public health practice at Meharry Medical College, because of what she says it means about the status of women’s health and factors

“Babies are the canary in the coal mine. They are a measure of how healthy a community, a state or a society is.” – KIMBERLEE WYCHEETHRIDGE

“We’re not doing enough to make sure all of our babies are being born to thrive and survive,” said Wyche-Etheridge. “Babies are the canary in the coal mine. They are a measure of how healthy a community, a state or a society is. If we see that our babies aren’t doing well, we know our communities aren’t doing well.”

Black women had the highest percentage of preterm births from 2013 to 2015, with 14.3 percent. White women came in second with 10.2 percent, followed by Hispanic women with 9.1 percent and Asian/Pacific Islander women with 8.4 percent.

The March of Dimes has a goal of a nationwide rate of 8.1 percent by 2020. Preterm birth rates worsened in more than 40 states. Tennessee is one of 11 states and Washington, D.C., to receive a “D” on the Premature Birth Report Card.

In 2007, 11.8 percent of babies born in Tennessee were preterm, or before 37 weeks. Since then, the rate dipped to 10.8 percent in 2014, only to climb back in the succeeding years.

The organization is calling for more research and education about the social factors that impact health, ranging from neighborhood safety to income and jobs.

There are state and local initiatives aimed at reducing preterm births, which can lead to lifelong chronic problems as the person grows.

Focusing on women’s health before they become pregnant is important, Wyche-Etheridge said, because it lays better groundwork for healthy babies.

“Since prematurity hits every aspect of the community, no one is protected per se, and we have to take care of all of our women in all of our families so all of our babies have a chance at a healthy start.”

Health screenings and controlling high blood pressure, weight and diabetes are important factors in a woman’s health before she becomes pregnant, said Wyche-Etheridge, a public health pediatrician who has worked on maternal health issues for 20 years. Reducing stress is vital, she said, noting that can come from worrying about finances, housing or other facets of life.

Wyche-Etheridge said preterm pregnancies can have a cyclical impact on communities.

“What we find is her health prior to pregnancy is key, which means if we don’t have a community that values women’s health then women are not going into a pregnancy in tip-top shape,” said Wyche-Etheridge.

“Without healthy babies, it’s less likely we have healthy adults, and we can’t have a healthy state.”

Contact Holly Fletcher at hfletcher@tennessean.com or 615-259-8287 and on Twitter @hollyfletcher.