U.S. Preterm Birth Rate Continues to Drop: Report

Still, almost half a million babies are born too soon, according to the March of Dimes

November 13, 2012 RSS Feed Print

Another expert, Dr. Deborah Campbell, director of the division of neonatology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said that while the lower rates are good news, more needs to be done.

"States that have made progress should applaud that progress, but when you look at the map, there are still many states that need to refocus and redouble their efforts," Campbell said.

Campbell agreed that the three factors singled out by the March of Dimes are important, but added that "there are a lot of other factors we don't have a good handle on. The rates of preterm birth for babies less than 32 weeks have stayed steady for about two decades. For these tiniest of babies, we still don't have a full understanding of how to prevent preterm birth."

More information

Learn more about the signs of preterm labor from the March of Dimes.