Despite "C" Grade, Missouri's Premature Birth Rate is Improving

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The March of Dimes released its Premature Birth Report Card Tuesday, giving the Show-Me State a "C."

Missouri is one of 40 states that saw improvements since 2011, but it wasn't enough to change its grade. Arkansas received a "D."

Read the Prematurity Report Card

Missouri's improvement in the number of premature births is a sign of healthier babies being born and families being spared the heartache of having a baby born too soon.

The Insley family in Springfield never thought they'd have to wait weeks before holding their child.

"Absolutely tiny," recalls Joe Insley, whose daughter Lucy was born 3 months early. "She could fit in the palm or your hand."

Joe's wife was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a condition when blood pressure rises during pregnancy.

"The scary thing about it is you have to worry about not only the baby's health, but the mother's health," says Insley.

After an emergency c-section, Lucy was born at 1 lb 15 oz., and 13" long.

"When you first have a baby, you expect to hold them, but with Lucy she went to an incubator," adds Insley.

Lucy is one of the thousands of premature babies born in the United States every year. Kids born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered preemies. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death.

"The whole situation was an emotional roller coaster," says Insley.

Missouri's preterm rate improved in 2011, but not enough to change its "C" grade. The state came in at 11.6 percent, down from 12.1 percent in 2010.

It's a condition that costs the U.S. $26 billion every year.

"Having a healthy baby is expensive enough, but if you're paying ten times more it can be very costly," says Tammy Mast with the Springfield March of Dimes.

Mast says health professionals don't know all the causes of premature births, but she says smoking is a major risk factor.

"It's not just the mother, it's the mother being around smoke," she says.

But for the Insley family, they are just thankful Lucy will be celebrating her first birthday and are hopeful for her future.

"When you're in the NICU, you think it will never end, and you look at this helpless tiny little baby but there's always hope," says Insley.

The United States preterm birth rate improved to 11.7 percent from 12.8 percent in 2010. While still a "C," it's the lowest in a decade.

Each year, March of Dimes grades all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico by comparing the rates of preterm birth to the March of Dimes 2020 goal of 9.6 percent.

Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama received "F" grades, along with Puerto Rico.