Premature birth rates increase in Mississippi
Mississippi is the worst state in the nation for premature births, and the problem isn’t getting any better.
According to the 2017 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, released Wednesday, Mississippi earned an F. Last year, 13% of babies born in Mississippi were considered preterm. This year, that number grew to 13.6%, the report stated.
Wengora Thompson, maternal child health director with March of Dimes in Mississippi, said babies born before 37 weeks can experience issues with their vision and hearing and development as they age.
“Many of our babies are born too early in Mississippi, not allowing them to fully develop, which, in turn, can create issues for them as they grow as children,” Thompson said.
Some babies, however, may not get the chance to grow into children. Preterm birth is the largest contributor of infant death, Thompson said.
Dr. Charlene Collier, perinatal consultant with the state Depart- ment of Health, said she was in the process of analyzing the data to better understand the increase.
“It is not a substantial increase but obviously it’s not going in the direction we would like it to be. Unfortunately, this is following a national trend.”
After nearly a decade of declining premature birthrates, the number increased in 2016, earning the nation as a whole a C, the report stated.
More than 380,000 babies are born preterm in the U.S. each year, facing a greater likelihood of death before their first birthday or lifelong disabilities and chronic health conditions.
An additional 8,000 babies were born prematurely in 2016, the March of Dimes said. Mississippi was among five states that saw an increase in premature births.
“The 2017 March of Dimes Report Card demonstrates that moms and babies in this country face a higher risk of preterm birth based on race and zip code,” March of Dimes President Stacey Stewart said in the release.
Thompson said that, while there isn’t one specific reason for preterm births, it’s essential to make sure women are healthy before and during pregnancy.