March of Dimes: Indiana Gets A “C” For Reducing Preterm Births

By Travis Thayer (Indianapolis, Ind.) - When babies are born prematurely, it puts them at a higher risk of death or disability. Worldwide, 15 million babies are born preterm, and nearly one million die due to an early birth or its complications. The March of Dimes is leading the campaign to reduce the nation’s preterm birth to 8.1 percent. In a newly released report, Indiana earned a “C” on the 2015 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card, which for the first time graded the states and cities and revealed persistent disparities between communities and among racial and ethnic groups. "This detailed information will show us where we have the greatest need and allow us to meet the unique needs of each community," said Dr. Niceta Bradburn, Medical Director of Women's and Children's Service Lines at St. Vincent Health. "Our state is not doing as well as we should in preventing premature births and too many of our babies must fight to overcome the health challenges of an early birth. Indiana’s preterm birth rate was 9.7 percent in 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The rate was worse than the new March of Dimes 2020 goal of 8.1 percent. Indiana ranked 41 on the disparity index with a score of 33 to indicate the gaps between racial and ethnic groups in its preterm birth rate. Indianapolis, Gary, Evansville, and Fort Wayne all had preterm birth rates that were worse than the statewide rate. Overall the U.S. earned a "C" on the 2015 Report Card. The March of Dimes says the years of improvement in the U.S. preterm birth rate came through bold leadership and the implementation of programs and policies by state and local health departments, hospitals and health care providers.