The March of Dimes released its latest preterm birth rate report card, and Texas earns a “C”. Bexar County, however, gets a lower grade.
Premature births are devastating, sometimes deadly and almost always costly. Statewide, the rate of premature babies dropped slightly in the past year, from 10.3 percent to 10.2 percent. That earns Texas a mid-range “C” grade from the March of Dimes. However, Bexar County, with a premature birth rate of 11 percent, earned a “D.”
The March of Dimes said the most disturbing part about the report is that it shows great disparities in the rates of prematurity among racial and ethnic groups. And the chances of prematurity even depend upon where you live.
In a country that leads the world in medical research and care, the U.S. preterm birth rate still ranks high among developed countries.
This Friday, 200 community and health leaders are gathering for a Prematurity Prevention Summit in San Antonio to try to impact these numbers in a positive way.
