American premature birth rate declines

The rate of premature births in the U.S. fell for the second straight year, marking the first time this has happened in three decades, according to a recently released report from the National Center for Health Statistics. The declines were seen across a range of categories, including babies of mothers under 40, all ethnicities and every state except Hawaii, reports the Los Angeles Times. Premature births are defined as those occurring before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Such births are associated with many different health problems like cerebral palsy, developmental delays and mental retardation. "We are thrilled with this sign of sustained progress," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, in a statement. Despite the declines there are still more than 500,000 babies born prematurely in America. Premature birth is one of the many factors that can cause cerebral palsy. Some of the other ones are doctor errors at birth, a small birth canal or a mother with high blood pressure. According to the March of Dimes, two to three children out of every thousand are born with cerebral palsy.