Oklahoma’s premature birth rate went up again in 2017 and continues to outpace the nation.
In 2017, 11.1 percent of births in Oklahoma happened before the 37th week of pregnancy, up from 10.6 in 2016. The U.S. rates were 9.93 percent in 2017 and 9.85 percent in 2016.
Preterm birth rates are even higher among black women in Oklahoma, at 13.1 percent.
March of Dimes Director of Maternal and Child Health and Government Affairs Belinda Rogers said part of the problem is Oklahoma moms are in worse overall health than those in many other states.
"About 20 percent of childbearing-age women in Oklahoma use tobacco or smoke either the three months prior, during or the three months after pregnancy," Rogers said. "We have high rates of women who are uninsured. About one in five, 20 percent, of childbearing-age women in Oklahoma are without insurance."
Access to care is also a problem, with some women not having an OB/GYN or even a family doctor nearby.
"We have 41 counties out of our 77 that are considered maternity deserts. In fact, Oklahoma is second-worst in the nation for the number of women to health care providers," Rogers said.
Babies born early often have trouble breathing because they haven’t fully developed.
"They can also have increased issues with infection and being able to have nutrition. You know, like a full-term infant is ready to breastfeed and their gut and everything is working like it should, and that’s not the case with preterm babies," said OU Health Sciences Office of Perinatal Quality Improvement Director Barbara O'Brien.
Oklahoma's 2017 preterm birthrate is the highest since 2010. Oklahoma earned a "D" on March of Dimes' Premature Birth Report Card along with 13 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
