Preterm birth is defined as a live birth before 37 completed weeks gestation. Some other classifications of preterm births include late preterm (34-36 weeks), moderately preterm (32-36 weeks) and very preterm (<32 weeks). These classifications are useful because they often correspond to clinical characteristics - increasing morbidities or illnesses with decreasing gestational age. Babies born too soon are often born too small. While the causes of preterm birth and low birthweight may be different in some cases, there is significant overlap within these populations of infants.
Last updated:
January 2022
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In 2022, 1 in 10 babies (10.2% of live births) was born preterm in Iowa.
The rate of preterm birth in Iowa is highest for American Indian/Alaska Native infants (15.7%), followed by blacks (12.4%), Hispanics (10.3%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (9.8%) and Whites (9.8%).
Compared with singleton births (one baby), multiple births in Iowa were about 7 times as likely to be preterm in 2022.
Notes: Preterm is less than 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Sources: National Center for Health Statistics, final natality data. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from www.marchofdimes.org/peristats.
During 2020-2022 (average) in Iowa, preterm birth rates were highest for American Indian/Alaska Native infants (14.6%), followed by blacks (12.5%), Whites (9.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islanders (9.8%).
In the United States, prematurity/low birthweight is the second leading cause of all infant deaths (during the first year of life) and the leading cause of infant death among black infants.