‘Crisis Level’: US Preterm Birth Rates in 2022 Second Highest Since 2012, Report Says

The 2022 preterm birth rate in the United States was the second highest in a decade—a “crisis level” state of infant and maternal care, according to the March of Dimes. “In 2022, over 380,000 babies were born preterm—10.4 percent of all births—earning the U.S. a D+ for the second year in a row,” said the Nov. 16 report by the infant and maternal care nonprofit. This represents a tiny dip from 10.5 percent in the previous year. Despite the slight decline, the preterm rate in 2022 was the second highest since 2012. The worst grades were given in the southern region. Black Americans had the highest preterm rate of 14.6, with Hispanics at 10.1, whites at 9.4, and Asians with the lowest at 9....