Preemie Deaths on the Rise in the U.S.

[random3434]

Premature births worsen US infant death rate - Yahoo! News

Why so many more premature infants here? Experts offered several possible explanations:

_Fertility treatments and other forms of assisted reproduction probably play a role because they often lead to twins, triplets or other multiple births. Those children tend to be delivered early.

_The U.S. health care system doesn't guarantees prenatal care to pregnant women, particularly the uninsured, said Dr. Alan R. Fleischman, medical director for the March of Dimes.

_Maternal obesity and smoking have been linked to premature births and may also be a factor.

_Health officials are also concerned that doctors increasingly are inducing labor or performing C-sections before the 37th week. However, Fleischman said most infant deaths do not occur in babies just shy of 37 weeks gestation, but rather in those much younger

 

[Emma]

Infant mortality is an important indicator of the health of a nation, and the recent stagnation (since 2000) in the U.S. infant mortality rate has generated concern among researchers and policy makers. The percentage of preterm births in the United States has risen 36% since 1984 (1). In this report we compare infant mortality rates between the United States and Europe. We also compare two factors that determine the infant mortality rate—gestational age-specific infant mortality rates and the percentage of preterm births. U.S. data are from the Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set (2,3), and European data for 2004 are from the recently published European Perinatal Health Report (4). We also examine requirements for reporting a live birth among countries to assess the possible effect of reporting differences on infant mortality data.

The report (comparing the US with European countries):

Products - Data Briefs - Number 23 - November, 2009

And to head off those who claim the US ranks so low because of reporting differences:

The U.S. infant mortality rate was still higher than for most European countries when births at less than 22 weeks of gestation were excluded.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db23_Fig2.png

Summary
In 2005, the United States ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality, behind most European countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Israel. There are some differences among countries in the reporting of very small infants who may die soon after birth. However, it appears unlikely that differences in reporting are the primary explanation for the United States’ relatively low international ranking. In 2005, 22 countries had infant mortality rates of 5.0 or below. One would have to assume that these countries did not report more than one-third of their infant deaths for their infant mortality rates to equal or exceed the U.S. rate. This level of underreporting appears unlikely for most developed countries.

The United States compares favorably with Europe in the survival of infants born preterm. Infant mortality rates for preterm infants are lower in the United States than in most European countries. However, infant mortality rates for infants born at 37 weeks of gestation or more are generally higher in the United States than in European countries.

The primary reason for the United States’ higher infant mortality rate when compared with Europe is the United States’ much higher percentage of preterm births. In 2004, 1 in 8 infants born in the United States were born preterm, compared with 1 in 18 in Ireland and Finland. Preterm infants have much higher rates of death or disability than infants born at 37 weeks of gestation or more (2-4, 6), so the United States’ higher percentage of preterm births has a large effect on infant mortality rates. If the United States had the same gestational age distribution of births as Sweden, the U.S. infant mortality rate (excluding births at less than 22 weeks of gestation) would go from 5.8 to 3.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, a 33% decline. These data suggest that preterm birth prevention is crucial to lowering the U.S. infant mortality rate.

 

[chanel]

I don't know about other states but we have free clinics here regardless of income.

The pregnant girl I am tutoring went to the clinic once. She doesn't "like" the vitamins and she smokes.She won't go to lamaze classes because she claims she "knows how to breathe".

Any breakdown on drug use? That would be my first guess.

 

[JenyEliza]

I don't know about other states but we have free clinics here regardless of income.

The pregnant girl I am tutoring went to the clinic once. She doesn't "like" the vitamins and she smokes.She won't go to lamaze classes because she claims she "knows how to breathe".

Any breakdown on drug use? That would be my first guess.

Wow. That's one awesome Mommy to be there!

 

[Luissa]

free clinics are great until it comes time to have the baby.

I worked with a lady who missed the enrollment date for health insurance at are work due to date of hire and she couldn't get state medical because her husband made too much. She still owed $2000 in medical costs.