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Health & Medicine
The 'March of Dimes' Releases Its '2013 Premature Birth Report Card'
Fully produced report in:
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(68 seconds)
-- How Will You Use This Story? --
(OPEN):
THE U-S PRETERM-BIRTH RATE HAS DROPPED, FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE
YEAR, IN 2012--TO 11-AND-A-HALF-PERCENT, THE LOWEST IN 15 YEARS.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE MARCH OF DIMES' JUST-RELEASED "2013
PREMATURE BIRTH REPORT CARD". SIX STATES--ALASKA, CALIFORNIA,
MAINE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, OREGON, AND VERMONT--EARNED AN "A" IN THE REPORT, AS
THEIR PRETERM-BIRTH RATES MET THE MARCH OF DIMES' GOAL. HOWEVER, EVEN
THOUGH THE NATIONAL PRETERM-BIRTH RATE IMPROVED, IT AGAIN EARNED A "C" ON
THE "REPORT CARD". DOCTOR JENNIFER HOWSE [LIKE "HOUSE"]
IS THE MARCH OF DIMES' PRESIDENT...
(HOWSE):
"ALTHOUGH
WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS, IN REDUCING OUR NATION'S PRETERM-BIRTH RATE
FROM HISTORIC HIGHS, THE U-S STILL HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF PRETERM-BIRTH
OF ANY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRY. A PREMATURE BIRTH COSTS BUSINESSES
ABOUT 12 TIMES AS MUCH AS AN UNCOMPLICATED, HEALTHY BIRTH. AS A
RESULT, PREMATURE BIRTH IS A MAJOR DRIVER OF HEALTH-INSURANCE COSTS FOR
EMPLOYERS. WE MUST CONTINUE TO INVEST IN PRETERM-BIRTH
PREVENTION--TO ASSURE [THAT] EVERY BABY HAS A HEALTHY START."
(CLOSE):
SEE HOW YOUR STATE DID, BY VISITING
"MARCH-OF-DIMES"-DOT-COM-SLASH-"REPORT-CARD".
