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Data Brief Number 24, November 2009 Born a Bit Too Early: Recent
Trends in Late Preterm Births PDF Version (691 KB) by Joyce A.
Martin, M.P.H.; Sharon Kirmeyer, Ph.D.; Michelle Osterman,
M.H.S.; and Ruth A. Shepherd, M.D. - The U.S. late preterm birth
rate rose 20% from 1990 to 2006. If the late preterm rate had
not risen from the 1990 level, more than 50,000 fewer infants
would have been delivered late preterm in 2006. - On average,
more than 900 late preterm babies are born every day in the
United States, or a total of one-third of 1 million infants
(333,461). - Increases in late preterm births are seen for
mothers of all ages, and for non-Hispanic white and Hispanic
mothers. The rate for black mothers declined during the 1990s,
but has been on the rise since 2000. - Late preterm birth rates
rose for all U.S. states, but declined in the District of
Columbia. - The percentage of late preter