South Carolina has received a “D” rating by the March of Dimes on their premature birth report card.
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After decades of increases, the rate of premature birth in the U.S.is now declining. The 8th annual report card has given B grade to the state for relatively low number of premature babies born every year. Breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, intellectual delays and cerebral palsy can result from preterm birth, according to a March of Dimes press release. “Too many of our families are faced with that fear”, Representative Donny Lambeth, North Carolina Chapter of March of Dimes Board Chairman, said. “In California, the African American preterm birth rate is almost 50 percent higher than the white community – almost 1 in 8 babies. We will use this data to identify areas and focus our efforts on the unique needs of each community”.
North Carolina ranked 30th on the disparity index with a score of 26 to indicated the gaps between racial and ethnic groups in its preterm birth rate.
“What we see in a few places is limited access to care, lack of health insurance, and then we have trouble getting those women equipped with the tools they need to improve their health”, says Siobhan Dolan, an MD and miles per hour with March of Dimes.
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Prematurity Awareness Month is the March of Dimes way of seeking awareness about the causes and consequences of prematurity. On the 2013 report card, also a C, the statewide preterm birthrate was 12.5 percent.
