Compared to Distribution

an indicator guage with the arrow in the green the value is in the best half of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the yellow the value is in the 2nd worst quarter of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the red the value is in the worst quarter of communities.

Compared to Target

green circle with white tick inside it meets target; red circle with white cross inside it does not meet target.

Compared to a Single Value

green diamond with downward arrow inside it lower than the comparison value; red diamond with downward arrow inside it higher than the comparison value; blue diamond with downward arrow inside it not statistically different from comparison value.

Trend

green square outline with upward trending arrow inside it green square outline with downward trending arrow inside it non-significant change over time; green square with upward trending arrow inside it green square with downward trending arrow inside it significant change over time; blue square with equals sign no change over time.

Compared to Prior Value

green triangle with upward trending arrow inside it higher than the previous measurement period; green triangle with downward trending arrow inside it lower than the previous measurement period; blue equals sign no statistically different change from previous measurement period.

green chart bars Significantly better than the overall value

red chart bars Significantly worse than the overall value

light blue chart bars No significant difference with the overall value

gray chart bars No data on significance available

Preterm Births

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Measurement Period: 2021

Filter: none (all Counties)

This indicator shows the percentage of births with less than 37 weeks of completed gestation. Gestational age of a newborn is measured using the obstetric estimate of gestation at delivery (OE).

Why is this important?

Infants born before 37 weeks may be born with serious health problems and have higher risk of infections, developmental problems, breathing problems, and death (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Strategies to reduce preterm births include promoting adequate birth spacing, helping pregnant people quit smoking, and providing high-quality medical care for pregnant patients (Healthy People 2030). 

Considerations for Equitable Approaches: Nationally, there are racial and ethnic differences in preterm birth rates, with higher rates among non-Hispanic Black births. In addition to medical conditions and behavioral factors (e.g., tobacco use, substance use, stress), known factors that may increase the likelihood of early delivery include social, personal, and economic characteristics such as race and income. Exploring broader social policies to improve the health of pregnant people, particularly in African American and other communities at high risk, could reduce preterm birth and associated disparities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).   

Inclusive Language Recommendations: As not all people who are pregnant identify as women, recommendations for more gender-inclusive language include using "pregnant people" and "pregnant patients" or other wording as applicable when referring to general recommendations for pregnancy (National Institutes of Health). 

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