(NewsNation) — The report card is in, and the U.S. is nearly failing.
The 2024 March of Dimes Report Card issued the nation a D+ for its preterm birth rate and found that maternal mortality returned to pre-pandemic rates while infant mortality rates increased for the first time in two decades.
A preterm birth occurs when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, which can cause complications for the baby and the mother.
The preterm birth rate was 10.4% in 2023, unchanged from 2022 and close to the decade-high rate of 10.5% in 2021.
Premature births occur more commonly in Black women, the report found, with a 14.7% rate compared to 9.2% for Asian women, who have the lowest.
The March of Dimes, whose goal is to end preventable maternal health risks and death, releases the report card every year.
Several states in the South received an F letter grade, and many other southern states received Ds.
Mississippi had the worst rate in the country with 15%, while its neighboring states followed closely behind.
Vermont had the lowest rate at 7.7%.
External factors can affect the likelihood of a woman to give birth to a premature baby.
The study found that 74% of people giving birth were at risk of exposure to poor air quality, and 41% were at risk of exposure to extreme heat.
While the nation’s birth rate dropped to a record low last year, the infant mortality rate grew for the first time in two decades, especially in the South and Midwest.
The report found disparities across racial and ethnic lines, with Black women experiencing a much higher infant mortality rate than other groups.