The grades of seven states improved and two dropped to ‘F’ in the 2009 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, in which the U.S. as a whole earned a ‘D’ for the second straight year, as per a new report. The states that improved their grades from D’s to C’s are Idaho, Utah, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts and the ones that dropped from D’s to F’s are Missouri, Arizona, and Indiana.
 
The last year’s report card was similar to this years’ in the sense that it had only one state score a ‘B’ grading and none of the states scored an ‘A’.
 
The calculation of the grades was based on comparing preterm birth rates to the national Healthy People 2010 preterm birth objective, which amount to 7.6% of all live births.
 
The most current preterm birth rate based on preliminary data in the U.S. earned the nation the same grade as it did in 2008.
 
More than 540,000 babies are born prematurely every year in the U.S., as per the March of Dimes. It is also the main cause of deaths in newborn babies. Preterm babies also have health problems for a lifetime.
 
The organization informed that measures have been taken to reduce the rate of preterm babies. Foe instance, the Intermountain Health Program in Utah reduced its elective C-sections to less than 5% from more than 30%.
 
In Pennsylvania, pregnant women at Geisinger Health System are screened for chronic conditions and risk factors, allowing proactive treatment and reducing the risk of premature births.
 
Jennifer L. Howse, PhD, president of the March of Dimes, says in a news release, "Although we don't yet understand all the factors that contribute to premature birth, we do know some interventions that can help prevent it, and we must consistently make use of all of these."