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March of Dimes sets 2030 goal to reduce US preterm birth rates
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The March of Dimes Foundation aims to reduce US preterm birth rates to 5.5% of all live births by 2030, according to recent study findings.
More than 450,000 infants are born prematurely in the United States annually, according to researcher Edward R.B. McCabe, MD, PhD, of the March of Dimes Foundation in White Plains, N.Y., and colleagues. Since 1980, the preterm birth rate in the US increased for nearly 3 decades, peaking at 12.8% in 2006. Rates then declined to 11.4% in 2013, yet one in nine US-born infants is preterm.
The United States ranks 37th among 39 Very High Human Development Index countries for preterm birth rates, according to researchers. Seven developed countries have rates below 6%; 15 have rates below 7%.
In addition to high neonatal and infant mortality, many preterm infants experience lifelong morbidities and disabilities that contribute to annual medical costs of $26.2 billion in the United States, according to the Institute of Medicine.
“The United States spends more money per capita on health care than almost any other country in the world, and yet our premature birth rate and our infant mortality rate are among the highest,” Jennifer L. Howse, PhD, president of the March of Dimes Foundation, said in a press release. “The United States should aspire to be among the best globally in preterm birth rates and give all our children a healthy beginning.”
Premature birth prevention interventions and risk reduction strategies, which contributed to the 7-year decline of preterm birth rates from 2006 to 2013, include:
- eliminating early elective deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy
- optimizing birth spacing, 18 to 23 months between pregnancies
- helping women quit smoking
- offering progesterone treatments for women with a history of preterm birth
- reducing multiple births by following ideal fertility treatment practices
- administering low doses of aspirin to prevent preeclampsia among women with high-risk pregnancies
Expanded funding for research on unknown causes of preterm birth and new interventions is needed, according to researchers.
The March of Dimes Foundation is funding a network of preterm birth research centers at Stanford University, University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University. Two new research centers will be announced later this month, the release said.
Achieving the 2030 goal of a 5.5% preterm birth rate would rank the United States in the top 4 (10%) of 39 Very High Human Development Index countries. The goal is tangible, according to researchers. During the preterm birth rate decline from 2006 to 2013, approximately 231,000 fewer infants were born prematurely, and $11.9 billion was saved.
“The United States has the means and compelling reasons to do this for the health and well-being of the next generation and for increased productivity for family members, employers and society,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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