Georgia babies are born preterm — without finishing out the normal length of pregnancy — more often than happens in most other states, the March of Dimes said Thursday. The report gave Georgia a grade of F.
The report measured events in 2023, and found that 11.8% of Georgia births then were preterm. The national average was 10.4%, with 370,000 preterm U.S. births that year. Georgia was among eight states and Puerto Rico to receive an F, with the nation as a whole averaging a D+.
The report found that many risk factors for preterm birth are not improving, including inadequate prenatal care and chronic health issues.
“Preterm birth rates matters a lot,” said Dr. Hugo Scornik, a Georgia pediatrician. “A child that is born premature is at significantly higher risk of dying or having a disability.”
Importantly, he said, the preterm birth rate is also a broad indicator of maternal health as well as a mother’s access to health care in the state.
“An F should be a wake-up call to state leaders that more needs to be done to improve the health of pregnant mothers,” Scornik said.
The report defined a preterm birth as one happening before 37 weeks of gestation. A full-term pregnancy is 39 to 40 weeks.
Among the factors that can lead to preterm births are smoking, high blood pressure and having an unhealthy weight.
The 2024 Report Card gave one-third of the largest U.S. cities an F grade for preterm birth rates. Nationally, 24 states experienced worsening rates, many in the Southeast, with Black moms facing preterm birth rates 1.4 times higher than their peers.
Racial disparities, high maternal and infant mortality rates persist across the U.S., according to this year’s report.
The report details the persistent challenges in maternal and infant health across Georgia.
In 2023, the rate of inadequate prenatal care rose to 15.7%, the highest in a decade, with even higher rates among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. Lack of adequate prenatal care is linked to a 9% increase in the rate of preterm birth compared to those who receive adequate prenatal care, stressing the need for early intervention. Chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes remain significant risks, with pre-pregnancy high blood pressure rising over 10% in just one year. This condition, a leading cause of preeclampsia, can dangerously elevate blood pressure and lead to preterm birth.
New in this year’s report, March of Dimes examined environmental factors impacting maternal and infant health outcomes. Research shows pregnant people exposed to extreme heat and air pollution are more likely to give birth preterm, have underweight or stillborn babies, and suffer from preeclampsia.
Nearly 40% of birthing people are at risk of exposure to extreme heat at some point in their pregnancy, while almost three in four are at risk of exposure to poor air quality.
Improving the health of mothers before and during pregnancy is the focus of Georgia Department of Public Health’s efforts to prevent preterm births. DPH is actively working with birthing hospitals and providers to recognize and respond to the signs and symptoms of severe high blood pressure and cardiac conditions during pregnancy.
According to a spokesperson for DPH, the state’s Perinatal Health Partnership program aims to provide home visiting services during pregnancy to promote healthy pregnancies. Nurses encourage receiving prenatal care, avoiding substance use, including tobacco, and managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV, and weight issues that can lead to preterm birth and other complications.
The home visits provide monitoring between provider appointments that can help identify early warning signs and symptoms of preterm labor and refer the mother to a provider for further assessment and intervention.
Other key findings from the 2024 Report Card for the nation and Georgia:
· Maternal mortality: Rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels with over 800 maternal deaths in 2022, a national rate of 22 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Black and American Indian/Alaska Native moms experiencing rates 2-3 times higher than white moms. The maternal mortality rate in Georgia is 32.1 per 100,000 births.
· Infant mortality: Preterm birth remains the leading cause of infant mortality, which rose by 3% in 2023 — the largest increase in over 20 years. Black infants are nearly twice as likely to die in their first year than the national average. In Georgia, the infant mortality rate was 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the national rate was 5.6.
· Inadequate prenatal care: 17.2% of birthing people did not receive adequate prenatal care with disparities most significant among Black women.
This latest report comes on the heels of “Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S.,” which revealed the worsening state of maternity care access in America. The latest data show that more than 6 million women live in counties with no or limited access to maternity care services, a situation exacerbated by recent hospital closures and reductions in obstetric services.
“Every baby deserves the chance for a healthy start, yet the data continue to show unacceptable health outcomes for far too many families,” said March of Dimes CEO Cindy Rahman. “March of Dimes is committed to advocating for policies that make health care more accessible like Medicaid expansion, addressing the root causes of disparities, and increasing awareness of impactful solutions.”
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