Prematurity is a leading cause of Infant mortality and morbidity. All infants born premature are at risk for serious health problems; however, the earlier an infant is born, the greater the risk of medical complications, long-term disabilities, and death.
The measures presented here include only singleton births. Multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.) are a major known risk factor associated with premature birth and were excluded in this data in order to focus on other possible risk factors.
Premature Births Data
Premature births (when a baby is born before the 37th completed week of pregnancy) are presented on an annual basis. It can be used to identify trends and patterns in reproductive outcomes across time and space.
Measure Description:
- The Premature Births Count is the number of live singleton births that occur at less than 37 weeks gestation.
- The Premature Births Percent is the premature singleton births Count as a percent of all live singleton births.
Very Premature Births Data
Very Premature births (when a baby is born before the 32nd completed week of pregnancy) are presented on a five year aggregate basis to reduce the presence of suppressed values due to small numbers. Data can be displayed at the county level, and includes stabilization of rates to better evaluate trends.
Measure Description:
- The Very Premature Annual Avg Births Count is the average number of live singleton births that occur at less than 32 weeks gestation per year during the 5 year period.
- The Very Premature Births Percent is the number of live singleton births that occur at less than 32 weeks gestation as a percent of all live singleton births during the 5 year period.