Toolsview all


Oklahoma births get poor grade

 
BY SUSAN SIMPSON | Published: November 13, 2008    Comment on this article Leave a comment

Citing poor maternal health and lack of insurance as risk factors, the March of Dimes graded Oklahoma a "D” in preterm births.

photo - Dr. Alvie Richardson talks about state’s report card on premature births Wednesday. Photo BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
Dr. Alvie Richardson talks about state’s report card on premature births Wednesday. Photo BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN

Multimedia

Videoview all videos

Preterm births addressed thumbnail

Preterm births addressed

Nov 12Oklahoma preterm births are addressed.

More Info

State’s birth rate graded ‘D’

Oklahoma preterm birth rate: 13.1 percent

Two reasons: One in four Oklahoma women of childbearing age has no health insurance. About the same ratio are smokers.

Average week in state: 996 babies are born; 129 are born to teens; 319 are delivered by Cesarean section; 130 are born preterm; 79 have low birth weight; eight die before their first birthday.

Source: March of Dimes

The "Premature Birth Report Card” released Wednesday said Oklahoma’s preterm birth rate of 13.1 percent — or one in eight live births — lags behind national objectives. The preterm birth rate in Oklahoma increased more than 20 percent from 1995 to 2005.

Nationally, the preterm birth rate was 12.7 percent. Only nine states received a C or higher, none received an A., and 18 states received an F. Oklahoma ranked 30th overall.

"Premature birth is an urgent and yet often overlooked health crisis in the United States,” said Gregor Scott, state advisory board chairman for the March of Dimes. He spoke Wednesday at a media conference to mark Prematurity Awareness Day.

Page 1 of 2

Toolsview all



Related Topics: Science and Technology, Health and Fitness, Medical Treatments and Procedures, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Surgery, Women's Health, Premature Births, Prenatal Health, Labor and Delivery, Demography, Children's Health, Cesarean Section, Childbirth



Leave a Comment

Thank you for joining our conversation on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy. Please help by flagging comments that violate these guidelines. Posts that contain obscene or vulgar language will be immediately flagged and not posted.

If you prefer your thoughts to appear in The Oklahoman, we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor.

Would you like to leave a comment?

Log in or sign up (it's free).

comments powered by Disqus

Ads by Yahoo!

53yr Old Woman, Looks 25
Mom reveals simple wrinkle trick that has angered doctors...
www.ConsumerLifestyleMag.com
Woman is 53 But Looks 24
Mom reveals simple wrinkle secret that has angered doctors...
ConsumerLifestyles.org

News Photo Galleriesview all