Ohio received a preterm birth—meaning babies born before 37 weeks of gestation—grade of D+ from the 2024 March of Dimes Report Card.
The preterm birth rate in Ohio was 10.7%, which is marginally lower than last year’s rate of 10.8% but higher than the national rate of 10.4%. Ohio is ranked 32nd in the nation.
The U.S. also received a D+ grade.
"In order to save lives and support healthy pregnancies and births, it's critical that we work to improve outcomes and eliminate health disparities across our country," said Dr. Amanda Williams, interim chief medical officer at March of Dimes, in a press release. “Our work must focus on equitable, science-backed solutions that address these challenges from all sides—through public health, policy advocacy, and community-based programs that support moms and babies."
Some demographics have higher preterm birth rates than others. Pacific Islanders have a rate of 15.1%, with Black people just behind at 14.7%. Asian and white people come in at the lowest at 9.8%.
The report card also looked at infant mortality rates, which was 7.1 per 1,000 live births in Ohio. That’s higher than the national rate of 5.6, and Ohio ranks low at 43rd in the country.
The racial disparity here is stark, with the rate for Black people who give birth being much higher than the state average at 13.2. That’s more than twice that of white people, who have a rate of 5.5.
The March of Dimes is a nonprofit that, on its website, says it is “committed to ending preventable maternal health risks and death, ending preventable preterm birth and infant death and closing the health equity gap for all families.”