PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island received the March of Dimes Virginia Apgar Prematurity Campaign Leadership Award on May 1 for the state’s dramatic reduction in the rate of preterm births, the R.I. Department of Health reported. Preterm births are closely associated with newborns’ brain, lung, hearing and vision issues. Rhode Island was one of seven states/territories to receive the award.
Between 2010 and 2015, Rhode Island’s preterm birth rate fell 10 percent, from 9.6 percent in 2010 to 8.6 percent in 2015. The national preterm birth average in 2015 was 9.6 percent.
“We are pleased to recognize the commitment, leadership and collaboration required to reduce the rate of prematurity in Rhode Island. We are fully aware of the complexity of this issue and applaud the state for its notable accomplishment,” Jordana Frost, maternal and child health director, March of Dimes in Rhode Island, said in a statement.
Despite the Ocean State’s progress, preterm birth disparities continue. For example, the state’s preterm birth rate among African-Americans was 11.4 percent, 9.7 percent among Latinos and 8.4 percent among whites. Nationally, African-American women had a preterm birth rate of 13 percent as compared to a 9 percent rate among white women.
“This award is a testament to the incredible commitment and collaboration that exists throughout Rhode Island,” DOH Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, said in the statement. “Moving forward, we need to narrow our focus even more on preterm birth disparities, including those based on race, ethnicity, city or town of residence and insurance status. Every single baby in Rhode Island absolutely deserves an equal opportunity to have as healthy a start as possible, and to be on a trajectory that will allow [him or her] to thrive through childhood and beyond.”
A preterm birth may occur when labor begins too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy, giving the baby less time to develop in the womb. Preterm babies may have more health problems or remain hospitalized longer than full-term babies. Specific complications include breathing problems, low blood pressure, bleeding in the brain and anemia.
The Rhode Island Task Force on Premature Births has been working to address preterm births since 2006, when Rhode Island’s preterm birth rate was 12.5 percent. The task force works to expand access to contraception and to reduce multiple pregnancies by assisted reproductive technology, which is a major risk factor for preterm births. Other risk factors include an interval of less than six months between pregnancies, tobacco or illicit drug use, poor nutrition, stressful life events and other social and environmental factors.
Another major focus of the Rhode Island Task Force on Premature Births is addressing barriers to access to 17-hydroxyprogesterone, which is also known as 17P, an evidence-based intervention to help prevent recurrent preterm birth. Cost, insurance coverage and availability are among the barriers to access to 17P, DOH reported.
Nancy Kirsch is a PBN contributing writer.
