Infants born to parents in Connecticut are slightly less likely to be born prematurely or to die within the first year of their lives, according to a new report from March of Dimes.
The 2023 March of Dimes Report Card tracked infant mortality and preterm births across the country, breaking down the results by state and giving each a letter grade. Connecticut received an overall grade of C+ for preterm births. Most of New England, for comparison, received a B-level grade, except for Maine, which also received a C. New Hampshire received the highest grade of all states in the U.S.
Connecticut’s overall preterm birthrate was 9.4% of all births in the state in 2022, an improvement over 2021’s rate of 9.6% and down from a 10-year high of 9.7 in 2002. But that rate has fluctuated greatly over those 10 years. It was at its lowest rate in 2014 and 2020, both of which had it at 9.2%. The national preterm birth rate is 10.4%.
That preterm rate varies by county and city with Hartford County at the highest rate of 10.3% and the only one that worsened rather than improved, while Middlesex County ranked highest at just 8.1%.
The report also tracked the rate of infant mortality in the state, defined as any time an infant does not survive to their first birthday. Connecticut’s rate is 4.7 per 1,000 births (or 0.47%). That is also better than the national average of 5.4 per 1,000 and an improvement over a 2015 high of 5.7 per 1,000. It is, however, an uptick in the rate of infant mortality over the previous year and part of a five-year upswing.
Despite overall good news for Connecticut, there are still significant disparities when controlling for race and socioeconomic factors. Black and Brown families are more likely to experience both preterm births and infant mortality with Black parents seeing the highest rates statewide. A child born to a Black parent is 1.5 times more likely to be born premature and more than three times as likely to die in the first year than children born to white families. Hispanic families see preterm births at 1.3 times the rate of white families and infant mortality at nearly twice the rate. Asian-American/Pacific Islander families see rates on par or better than their white counterparts.
The preterm birthrate for the United States is at a decade-long high and “remains among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth,” according to March of Dimes.
“This year’s report shows the state of infant and maternal health in the United States remains at crisis-level, with grave disparities that continue to widen the health equity gap,” said Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, March of Dimes President and CEO, in a statement. “We have long known that many of the factors impacting poor outcomes for moms and babies can and must be addressed if we are to reverse these trends. The fact is, we are not prioritizing the health of moms and babies in this country, and our systems, policies, and environments, as they stand today, continue to put families at great risk.”
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