CDC Brief Describes Rise in U.S. Preterm Birth Rates

​From 2014 to 2016, the U.S. preterm birth rate—births at less than 37 weeks' gestation per 100 total births—rose 3%, from 9.57% to 9.85%, according to a June 2018 Data Brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The analysis is based on data from the Natality Data File from the National Vital Statistics System. Although preterm birth rates had been declining from 2007 to 2014, the recent data suggests that the rate is on the rise again. Preterm infants are at a greater risk of early death and of suffering health and developmental problems than infants born later in pregnancy.