Prematurity Report Card: West Virginia

Tracey Reed

Regional Program Director

November 6, 2015

March of Dimes Mission

to improve the health of babies by

preventing birth defects, premature

birth and infant mortality

Change in Measurement of Preterm Births

Fewer babies are now counted as preterm due to a change in measurement by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

This change has major implications for national and state preterm birth rates:

ü The US has met the 9.6% 2020 preterm birth goal, seven years early.

ü All states have lower preterm birth rates.

The National Center for Health Statistics uses two ways to estimate gestational age:

1. Last Menstrual Period (LMP) - Assumes fertilization occurs 14 days after last menstrual period. 2. Obstetric Estimate (OE) - Utilizes all available prenatal/perinatal evaluations, including ultrasounds. Ultrasound in early pregnancy preferred.

Why the change? New evidence that OE-based data is a more accurate measure

compared to LMP-based data.

Change in Measurement

9.4

10.611.0

11.6

12.7 12.8 12.712.3 12.2 12.0 11.7 11.5 11.4

9.6

8.1

5.5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1981 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014* 2020 2030

LMP-based OE-based

Preterm Birth RatesUnitedStates,1981,1990,1995,2000,2005-2014*

Percen

toflivebirths

*2014databasedonobstetricesCmate(OE)ofgestaConalage;allpreviousyearsbasedonlastmenstrualperiod(LMP).Pretermislessthan37weeksgestaCon.Source:NaConalCenterforHealthStaCsCcs,1990-2013finaland2014preliminarynatalitydata.

Goal Goal

Achieving the 2020 and 2030 Preterm Birth Reduction Goals Focus on evidence-based interventions that we know can help prevent preterm birth:

ü Smoking cessation ü Appropriate use of 17-P hydroxyprogesterone ü Elimination of elective deliveries before 39 weeks ü Optimal pregnancy spacing

Fund Prematurity Research Centers to find the causes of preterm birth and additional prevention methods

For More Information…

Visit www.prematurityprevention.org and sign up as a user for the latest on preterm birth prevention

Check out www.prematurityresearch.org to learn about the five transdisciplinary March of Dimes

Prematurity Research Centers

HAPPY PREMATURITY AWARENESS

MONTH 2015!