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PHOM Indicator Profile Report of Preterm Birth

Why Is This Important?

Preterm birth, birth before 37 weeks gestation, is the leading cause of perinatal death in otherwise normal newborns and is a leading cause of long-term neurological disabilities in children. Infants born before 32 weeks gestation bear the biggest burden representing more than 50 percent of infant deaths. Babies born preterm also have increased risks for long-term morbidities and often require intensive care after birth. Healthcare costs and length of hospital stay are higher for premature infants. For a preterm infant without complications, average hospital stays are three times longer than a term infant, and for a preterm infant with complications, average hospital stays are over seven times longer than a term infant. Utah inpatient hospital discharge data (2019) indicate that average hospital charges for a premature infant were $90,734 (DRG 790, 791, 792) compared to $4,127 for a term newborn infant (DRG 795). Utah inpatient hospital discharge data (2019) indicate that the average length of stay for a premature infant was 16 days (DRG 790, 791, 792) compared to 2 days for a term newborn infant (DRG 795).

Preterm births (less than 37 weeks gestation), Utah and U.S., 1997-2021

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Data Sources

  • Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health
  • National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Data Notes

2021 U.S. data is provisional. U.S. data prior to 2010 is based on gestational age from last menstrual period (LMP) versus gestation based on the obstetric estimate (OE). U.S. data of gestation based on the OE has been revised back to 2010. Utah data is calculated by OE. Beginning in 2010, national rates are reported using OE and are not consistent with rates reported before 2010.

Risk Factors

Data show the following risk factors contribute to having a preterm birth: *Previous preterm births *Pre-pregnancy BMI (obese prior to pregnancy) *Intervals less than 6 months between pregnancies or > 48 months *Multiple gestation (e.g. twins) *Tobacco use during pregnancy *Maternal chronic disease, such as hypertension or diabetes

How Are We Doing?

The Utah preterm birth rate increased from 8.8% in 1990 to a high of 10.1% in 2005. The rate has remained under 10% from 2006 to the present. The Utah preterm birth rate increased by 6.6% in 2021, going from 9.27% in 2020 to 9.88% in 2021.

What Is Being Done?

Approximately half of the preterm births in Utah are due to complications of the pregnancy (multiple births, placental problems, fetal distress, infections) or maternal health factors such as high blood pressure or uterine malformations. The remaining preterm births have unexplained causes. In an effort to reduce the preterm birth rate, emphasis is being placed on maternal preconception health to help women achieve optimal health prior to pregnancy. Some ways women can achieve optimal health include stopping the use of tobacco and alcohol, controlling chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and obtaining an optimal pre-pregnancy weight. Early and continuous prenatal care is encouraged to detect problems that may arise during pregnancy. Education should be provided on the urgent maternal warning signs (https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html) and the importance of recognition and treatment for these symptoms. Standards for assisted reproductive technology should be followed to reduce the frequency of twins or higher-order multiple pregnancies. Pregnant women should also be referred for appropriate services such as Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) and psychosocial counseling. The maternal committee of the Utah Women and Newborns Quality Collaborative (UWNQC) worked to prevent recurrent spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB) in women with a previous history of SPTB. This team developed a series of videos on preterm birth prevention. The committee has produced materials to help educate families who have delivered prematurely on what they can do to reduce the chances of preterm birth from happening in future pregnancies. In addition, the maternal committee has worked on access to immediate postpartum long-acting reversible contraception as well as other family planning access.

Healthy People Objective: Reduce total preterm births

U.S. Target: 9.4 percent
State Target: 8.9 percent

Date Indicator Content Last Updated: 12/05/2022


Other Views

The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services IBIS-PH web site (http://ibis.health.state.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Fri, 29 March 2024 4:32:13 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.state.gov ".

Content updated: Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:14:52 MST