Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement regarding today’s release of “Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth.”
The report was issued by the March of Dimes, Save the Children, World Health Organization and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. The report documents for the first time the severe global toll of preterm birth and contains the first estimates of premature birth rates in 184 countries. It includes recommendations for strategies to reduce premature birth and improve care of infants. The report notes that the U.S. rate is higher than two-thirds of all other countries and is a significant contributor to the world’s total number of premature births.
“This report underscores the serious problems associated with preterm births, which are far too common in America. The sad facts are that this is a larger problem in the United States than in many other countries, and there’s still so much we don’t know about preventing them. But there are measures we can take to reduce them and to improve care for infants. One step Congress should take right way is to pass the PREEMIE bill. It’s a bipartisan, bicameral approach. It would reauthorize and expand preterm research and education, and it can help save lives.”
Bennet, along with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), has introduced the PREEMIE Act in the Senate. A similar bipartisan bill has been introduced in the House. The bill would help reduce preterm birth, prevent newborn death and disability caused by premature birth, and expand research into the causes of preterm birth. It also will promote the development, availability, and uses of evidence-based standards of care for pregnant women.