Why Is This Important?

Prematurity increases the risk for infant morbidity and mortality. Infants born preterm are at greater risk of dying in the first month of life. Preterm infants may require intensive care at birth and are at higher risk of developmental disabilities and chronic illnesses throughout life. They are more likely to require special education services. Health care costs and length of hospital stay are higher for preterm infants. The more preterm an infant is born, the more severe the health problems are likely to be.

Definition

Percent of live births before 37 weeks of gestation based on obstetric estimate Preterm is synonymous with premature. Infants born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered preterm and those born at or after 37 weeks of pregnancy are called full term. Most pregnancies last around 40 weeks.

Data Sources

• Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of Health
  (https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/)
• Natality public-use data, CDC WONDER On-line Database, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  (https://wonder.cdc.gov/natality.html)

How the Measure is Calculated

How Are We Doing?

New Jersey's overall preterm birth rate decreased from its peak of 10.4% in 2006 to 9.3% in 2022. The preterm birth rate among Black mothers (13.3%) remained significantly higher than among other racial/ethnic groups (7.9%-9.8%). Preterm birth is highly correlated with plurality. While 7.7% of singletons were born preterm in 2022, more than half of twins and all triplets and quadruplets were born prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation. Preterm rates were lowest in Morris County (7.2% of all births, 6.3% of singletons) and Ocean County (7.3% of all births, 5.6% of singletons) and highest in Passaic County (11.7% of all births, 10.1% of singletons) in 2022.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

New Jersey's preterm birth rates for singletons and for all pluralities are below those of the nation as a whole.

What Is Being Done?

The [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/ Division of Family Health Services] in the New Jersey Department of Health administers programs to enhance the health, safety and well-being of families and communities in New Jersey. Several programs are aimed at improving birth outcomes.

Evidence-based Practices

[https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6532a4.htm CDC Grand Rounds: Public Health Strategies to Prevent Preterm Birth]

More Resources

CDC: * [https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html Preterm Birth] * [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/birthweight.htm Birthweight and Gestation Fast Stats] * [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-01.pdf Shifts in the Distribution of Births by Gestational Age: United States, 2014-2022] * [https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db430.htm Exploring the Decline in the Singleton Preterm Birth Rate in the United States, 2019-2020]

Health Program Information

The New Jersey Department of Health has been using the obstetric estimate (OE) to determine gestational age since 1989, while the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) had been calculating it using date of last menstrual period (LMP). In 2003, NCHS changed the standard for gestational period from the LMP-based gestational age to the OE-based gestational age. OE-based gestational age for U.S. data became available for years 2007 and later in February, 2016. Data in reports published prior to February, 2016 will not match data shown here. Refer to [http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_05.pdf Measuring Gestational Age in Vital Statistics Data: Transitioning to the Obstetric Estimate] for more information. [[br]][[br]] The annual number of birth records with unknown gestational age was between 5,100 and 6,700 in 2000-2009. Unknown gestational age dropped to 1,000-2,800 records per year in 2010-2014. In recent years, improved data exchange between states has resulted in fewer than 100 NJ resident birth records with unknown gestational age most years. A large number of "unknowns" in the denominator may artificially decrease rates.