US Seeing 12% Spike in Premature Births
Premature birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestation, is a concerning issue that has been on the rise in the United States. Recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reveals a 12% increase in the rate of premature births from 2014 to 2022, reaching a staggering 8.7%. This alarming trend not only poses a threat to the health and well-being of infants but also highlights significant racial and age disparities among mothers.
The analysis conducted by the NCHS sheds light on the pronounced racial and age disparities in the rates of premature births. The data reveals that Black mothers had a significantly higher likelihood of giving birth prematurely compared to their white counterparts. In fact, the study found that 12.5% of Black mothers gave birth before ...