Columbia, SC, Nov. 1, 2013 –South Carolina lowered its preterm birth rate, giving more babies a healthy start in life and contributing to the national six-year improving trend.

While the state’s preterm birth rate has improved, it is not enough to change the grade. South Carolina again earned a D on the report card, and continues to have one of the highest premature birth rates in the country.

“Partnerships with our state health officials and local hospitals have helped us make newborn health a priority and lowered our preterm birth rate, making a difference in babies’ lives,” said Amy Picklesimer, a March of Dimes Volunteer who also serves as the Clinical Lead for the Birth Outcomes Initiative, and is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist with Greenville Health System.  “We will continue to work to give all babies a healthy start in life because there are still too many babies born too soon, before their lungs, brains or other organs are fully developed.”

The March of Dimes South Carolina Chapter is part of the Birth Outcomes Initiative—a collaboration between several statewide maternal and child health organizations—that is working to help women have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.

South Carolina’s data is part of a national trend toward improved preterm birth rates. In our state, the rate of late preterm births is 13.7%; the rate of women who smoke is 23.6% and the rate of uninsured women is 23.5% and the Late Preterm Birth Rate is 9.5%. All of these rates improved since the 2012 Premature Birth Report Card for South Carolina.

            “These lower rates contribute not only to improved infant and maternal health, but also to a potential savings in health care and economic costs to society,” said Breana Lipscomb, Director of Program Services and Government Affairs for the South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes. “We will continue to work with the Birth Outcomes Initiative to improve access to health care, help women quit smoking and, through our Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait education campaign, encourage women and health care providers to avoid scheduling a delivery before 39 weeks of pregnancy unless medically necessary,”

            On November 14, the Birth Outcomes Initiatives will host a symposium at The South Carolina Hospital Association. The symposium will highlight strategies aimed at improving maternal and infant care currently implemented in South Carolina and is open to physicians, nurses, and other health educators and human services professionals. For more information visit www.scha.org or call Breana Lipscomb at the March of Dimes at (803) 403-8523.

 A national perspective on the 2013 Premature Birth Report Card:

The United States again received a “C” on the March of Dimes Report Card.  Grades are based on comparing each state’s and the nation’s 2012 preliminary preterm birth rates with the March of Dimes 2020 goal of 9.6 percent of all live births. The U.S. preterm birth rate is 11.5 percent, a decline of 10 percent from the peak of 12.8 percent in 2006. The Report Card information for the U.S. and states will be available online at: marchofdimes.com/reportcard.

Premature birth, birth before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, is a serious health problem that costs the United States more than $26 billion annually, according to the Institute of Medicine. It is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, such as breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and others. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants. At least 39 weeks of pregnancy are important to a baby’s health because many important organs, including the brain and lungs, are not completely developed until then.

In 2013, the March of Dimes celebrates its 75th Anniversary and its ongoing work to help babies get a healthy start in life.  Early research led to the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines that all babies still receive.  Other breakthroughs include new treatments for premature infants and children with birth defects.  About 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, and all have benefitted the March of Dimes life saving research and education.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com/southcarolina.