The March of Dimes 2024 Report Card has been released, and the United States has scored a D+ for the third year in a row.
The annual report cards, which have been released since 2008, aim to educate and advocate for better outcomes for mothers and babies across the nation by highlighting the factors driving maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. For years, the report cards have underscored a disturbingly high preterm birth rate, and the 2024 report card, unfortunately, is no different, earning the U.S. a D+ on preterm birth grade for the third consecutive year.
In addition to scoring the nation as a whole, March of Dimes also included a preterm birth rate (which the organization defines as born before 37 completed weeks gestation) and grade by state, providing an interactive map so viewers can click on any state and view its grade and stats.
Additional report findings include:
- The worst preterm birth grades occurred in the southern region of the U.S.
- One third of the 100 U.S. cities with the greatest number of live births had a preterm birth grade of F in 2023
- The preterm birth rate among babies in the U.S. born to Black mothers is 1.4 times higher than the rate among all other babies
- Chronic health conditions including smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and unhealthy weight were linked to a higher risk of preterm birth
- More than 20,000 babies died before their first birthday, and the greatest rates occurred in the South and Midwest regions
- The infant mortality rate increased for the first time in two decades in 2022 and babies born to Black mothers have a rate 1.9 times higher than the national rate
“As one baby dies every 12 hours in our country, the time is now to make maternal and infant health a priority,” said Cindy Rahman, interim president and CEO of March of Dimes, in the report. “We all have a role to play. March of Dimes urges health care professionals, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to unite and drive meaningful change for moms, babies, and families nationwide.”
March of Dimes recommended policy actions include:
- Remove the regulatory barriers restricting midwifery practices so midwives can be fully integrated into the health care system.
- Require Medicaid extension across the country to ensure Medicaid health care benefits for one year after the birth of a child.
- Require postpartum depression screening during well-child visits and reimburse through Medicaid.
- Require Medicaid to reimburse for doula services (non-clinical professionals who provide physical, emotional, and informational support to moms before, during, and after childbirth).
- Provide paid family leave that allows workers up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
- Establish a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded maternal mortality review committee that is responsible for reviewing the causes and circumstances behind fetal and infant deaths.