The March of Dimes released its annual premature birth report card for 2018 and the results are not good for much of the country.
The March of Dimes reports the premature birth rate has risen for the third year in a row, translating into a “C” grade for the U.S.
Alabama, Louisiana Mississippi and West Virginia all have premature birth rates over 12 percent, which earned them a failing grade in the new report.
Virginia earned a “C” and North Carolina a “D”.
Experts say statistics on women of color are concerning. The March of Dimes report shows the pre-term birth rate among black women is nearly 50 percent higher than the rate of all other women.
“We have to do more in this country to make sure that women have access to the right care before they’re pregnant, during pregnancy, and we have to make sure that those babies are protected and healthy and whole when they’re born,” said March of Dimes President Stacey D. Stewart.
Vermont was the only state to receive an “A” grade in the annual report.