Recently, the United States received a "D" on the March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card. What does that actually mean and what should women know about premature births?

Dr. Alan Fleischman, the March of Dimes Senior VP and medical director, says the report card is an opportunity to rally public and legislative support for programs that will help reduce the preterm birth rate. "The March of Dimes wants every woman of childbearing age to know that premature birth is a serious and common problem, and that although the causes of many premature births are unknown, there are some steps women can take to help them have a healthy baby," says Dr. Fleischman.

The report card gives each state and the nation a letter grade determined by comparing its preterm birth rate to Healthy People 2010 objectives. It also provides information about selected risk factors that contribute to preterm birth, including the rate of uninsured women of childbearing age, the smoking rate for women and the rate of late preterm birth (defined as birth between 34 and 36 weeks gestation).

According to Dr. Fleischman, there are many serious and long-term consequences of preterm birth. "These include learning disabilities, mental retardation or cognitive impairment, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss and other chronic conditions such as asthma," he says. "Even infants born just a few weeks too soon have a greater risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice and delayed brain development."

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