Preterm Births: The No. 1 Baby Killer

Preterm births land about one-third infants in U.S. to deathbeds while posing bigger health problems for the others, researchers said on Monday.

Twice the figures reported earlier, premature births accounted for one-third of U.S. infant deaths in 2002.

The new study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention blames preterm delivery as the leading cause of infant mortality.

Premature delivery happens when the mother-to-be enters labor before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Preterm birth can cause lifelong health problems like mental retardation, chronic lung disease, vision/hearing problems or can even be fatal for the baby if it happens too early.

About 12 percent of babies in the United States are born prematurely.
This number has gone up over the years, partly because more women get pregnant through assisted fertility methods. Older age and artificial ways to create pregnancy tend to produce multiple fetuses, who tend to born preterm.

Under the preview of the study, the researchers examined birth and death certificates for more than 22,000 U.S. infants that died in 2002. Of these, preterm births were directly responsible for more than 4,300 deaths. Also, another 5000 deaths were calculated to be caused indirectly due to preterm birth defects.

The study at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that 34 percent of infant deaths in America in 2002 were linked to premature births.

Previously, figures quoted by the National Center for Health Statistics claimed about 17 percent of infant deaths directly caused by premature birth. This study accounted for low birth weight as the leading cause for birth defects. However the CDC’s study claims that other problems such as respiratory distress from underdeveloped lungs, brain hemorrhage and maternal complications like premature rupture of membranes should also be considered as premature birth defects.

Dr. William Callaghan, lead author of the study highlighted the common ‘prevention is better than cure’ scenario. He said, "This study found that efforts to reduce infant mortality rates must focus on preterm birth, and find ways to safely delay such births.”