After steadily increasing for 30 years, the number of preterm births in the U.S. has begun to decline, dropping to 12.3 per cent in 2008, reports USA Today.
Premature birth before 37 weeks gestation is the leading cause of death among newborns, and carries higher risk of intellectual disabilities, hearing or vision loss, and other health issues, like cerebral palsy.
In the U.S., lack of health insurance is cited as the only non-health-related maternal risk factor among others that include high blood pressure, diabetes, previous preterm births, cervical or uterine abnormalities, and carrying twins or multiples.
The U.S. has one of the highest premature birth rates among industrialized countries with more than 500,000 infants born prematurely each year, costing the U.S. $26 billion according to USA Today.
The rate of premature birth in Canada has gradually increased from 1981 until 2000 to 7.6 per cent. A large portion of this increase can be attributed to an increased use of obstetrical intervention, as well as an increasing rate of multiple births in recent years, which carries a higher risk for premature delivery.