State Premature Babies Rate Increases

Alabama was among a handful of states (and Puerto Rico) receiving a grade of “F” from the March of Dimes.

See the Alabama report card HERE. Of the counties that had the largest number of births,  Montgomery County was one of four getting an “F” grade. it had the highest percentage of premature births.

The March of Dimes reports:

“Premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) is the largest contributor to the death of babies in the U.S. Babies who survive an early birth often face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays. In addition to the human toll, preterm birth accounts for more than $26 billion annually in avoidable medical and societal costs, according to the National Academy of Medicine.”