Premature Birth

About 12 percent of pregnancies in the United States lead to a premature birth. By definition, this means the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Also called preterm birth, this is a major cause of infant death in the US.

The survey, conducted in part by the March of Dimes, included 798 women who were pregnant or had recently given birth. Most of these new or expectant moms had not discussed preterm birth with their health provider. And more than two-thirds of new or expectant moms didn’t know the correct definition of preterm birth.

In an accompanying survey, 225 doctors specializing in childbirth also answered questions about preterm issues. More than half said they were concerned that discussing preterm birth would cause pregnant women too much fear or worry. However, nearly all of the new or expectant moms and the health care providers agreed that preventing preterm birth should be a top priority in prenatal care.