One in Eight Babies Born Preterm in 2010

In 2010, 12% — or 478,790 births — were preterm (i.e., before 37 weeks of ges­ta­tion). In the same year, 8% of infants had low birth weights. Pre­ma­ture birth and low birth weight increase the like­li­hood that infants will expe­ri­ence devel­op­men­tal prob­lems, short- and long-term dis­abil­i­ties and increased risk of death in the first year. Babies born in Mis­sis­sip­pi are the most like­ly to be born preterm at 18%

See the Health sec­tion of the KIDS COUNT Data Cen­ter for data for the nation, states and the Dis­trict of Columbia:

• Preterm births
• Infant mor­tal­i­ty by race
• Child deaths
• Child deaths by race
• Teen deaths
• Teen deaths by race