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 2021, 1 in 10 babies (10.0% of live births) was born preterm in Iowa.
The rate of preterm birth in Iowa is highest for black infants (12.9%), followed by American Indian/Alaska Natives (12.7%), Hispanics (9.7%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (9.6%) and Whites (9.5%).
Compared with singleton births (one baby), multiple births in Iowa were about 8 times as likely to be preterm in 2021.
Notes: Late preterm is between 34 and 36 weeks gestation.
Sources: National Center for Health Statistics, final natality data. Retrieved June 3, 2023, from www.marchofdimes.org/peristats.
In 2021, there were 2,794 late preterm births in Iowa, representing 7.6% of live births.