About 12.8 percent of babies born in the United States (more
than half a million a year) are born prematurely — meaning
before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. The rate of premature
birth has increased a stunning 36 percent since the early 1980s.
Seventy percent of premature births are late-preterm babie born
between 34 and 36 weeks gestation. These late-preterm births
account for almost all of the increase in single premature
births, and experts believe that the increase in the rate of
cesarean sections is a contributing factor. More information on
causes, risk factors and costs of premature births is available
from the March of Dimes, which is sponsoring a symposium on
preventing preterm births Oct. 8-9 in Arlington, Va. The
discussion will focus on successful quality improvement programs
that prevent preterm births, promote health and reduce costs.
For information and to register, go to
www.marchofdimes.com/conferences Conference goals include: •
Enhance prematurity prevention efforts in the United States