Some States Have More Premature Babies Than Othersby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 19 Nov 2008 12:03 PM
For example, the states with the lowest incidence of premature births tend to be up north. In Vermont, a woman is least likely to have a premature baby. Only 9 percent of all births are premature. Oregon and Connecticut also have low rates of premature births. When you move down further south of the country, those number rise dramatically. There are a whopping 18.8 percent of premature births in Mississippi, the worst state in the union for premature birth rates. West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina and Louisiana also have large percentages of premature births. Overall in this country about one in eight babies is born premature. Prematurity can result in all sorts of conditions and medical issues, from learning disorders to death. While prematurity is not well understood, the report does give three factors that may play a role in the difference in the premature birth rates across the states: Lack of insurance leading to lack of prenatal care. Risks for preterm labor can offen be identity and treatment given to women who are at risk. Smoking. There is a higher incidence of smoking in some of the states that also have the higher premature birth rates. Overall, the report estimates that 17 percent of all pregnant women smoke. Scheduled C-sections. C-sections may purposely be scheduled ahead of full term (for example to avoid having a large baby), or they may be scheduled without a good understanding of the age of the fetus. What do you think of this recent news? Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans. The Link Between C-Sections and Childhood Asthma Study Finds Link Between Depression and Premature Babies Caffeine Linked to Underweight Babies
Just look to the right of this blog and find the subscription center (it looks just like this picture, although you'll have to find the "real" one just above the category listing ). Click on "Subscribe via Email". You'll be instantly subscribed and the email address that you registered at Families.com with will receive an instant notification whenever we post a new Baby Blog! Don't miss a thing - subscribe now! Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantbaby tags User Comments Samual (11722) 20 Nov 2008 10:07 AMI think its horrible that in countries without free healthcare punish babies and children for their parents actions or lack thereof.  Mary Ann Romans (26791) 20 Nov 2008 04:39 PMThere are a lot of no cost programs out there for prenatal care, but many don't know about them. Community Tags baby, infant, preemies, preterm labor Discuss this article
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