ISSUE: Preterm births

OUR VIEW: Reversing preterm trend is quality-of-life issue, economic priority

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.

Last year, the South Carolina March of Dimes invested more than $4.2 million in program services, including research grants and local community services. Through these grants, the organization is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina's premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care, and educate men and women about having healthy babies.

Nowhere is the effort needed any more.

The March of Dimes nationally during November's Prematurity Awareness Month has issued what is to be the first of annual Premare Birth Report Cards. The nation received a "D" and not a single state earned an "A." South Carolina earned an "F" with a preterm birth rate of 15.6 percent, more than double the rate that the March of Dimes says is the objective. The present national average is 12.7 percent.

The only state to earn a "B" was Vermont. Eight states earned a "C," 23 states earned a "D," and 17 other states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia got failing grades.

"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 South Carolina, the rate of late preterm births is 10.8 percent; the rate of women smoking is 21.7 percent and the rate of uninsured women is 20.8 percent.

"The Report Card illustrates the importance of ensuring every pregnant woman in South Carolina has access to health coverage, and it further stresses the value of smoking prevention and cessation," said Jim Hart, March of Dimes public affairs leader. "These issues will continue to be March of Dimes advocacy priorities."

The report card also calls for:

* 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.

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.

South Carolina and the United States are failing hundreds of thousands of the youngest citizens on the day they are born. A crisis level of premature births is driving up health care costs and special education budgets. Focus on preventive action is both a quality-of-life issue and an economic priority.

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