The rate of preterm births and low birth weight have increased and are the leading cause of newborn deaths in the United States. The authors caution that cuts to Medicaid would seriously jeopardize infant lives.
Preterm birth refers to a birth that occurs more than three weeks before the baby is due, or more specifically, one that occurs before the 37th week. Preterm birth complications were found to be the leading cause of death among children less than 5 years of age and resulted in approximately 1 million deaths in 2015 worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, three-quarters of these deaths could have been saved with cost-effective interventions.
