Title: National Prematurity Awareness Month: Celebrating Successes and Taking Action | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC
Headings: National Prematurity Awareness Month: Celebrating Successes and Taking Action
National Prematurity Awareness Month: Celebrating Successes and Taking Action
Media Statement

Content: We don’t understand all the reasons some babies are born too soon. Even women who appear to do everything “right” can deliver too early. But we do know that some factors increase the risk of preterm birth: young or advanced age of the mother, cigarette or substance abuse, stress, depression, and carrying more than one baby. Factors that determine how we thrive or falter in our environment – poverty, lack of access to quality healthcare, discrimination, and underemployment – also play a role. Many of these factors are more common in African- American communities and threaten the health of pregnant women and their families. CDC has identified five key strategies proven to reduce preterm births: Prevent unintended pregnancies and achieve an ideal length of time between pregnancies (birth spacing); Provide women ages 18–44 years access to health care before and between pregnancies to help manage chronic conditions and modify other risk behaviors, such as smoking; Identify women at risk for giving birth too early and offer effective treatments to prevent preterm birth;