Preterm Births Cost U.S. $26 Billion a Year;

Multidisciplinary Research Effort Needed to Prevent Early Births

WASHINGTON -- The high rate of premature births in the United States constitutes a public health concern that costs society at least $26 billion a year, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The report also notes troubling disparities in preterm birth rates among different racial and ethnic groups. It recommends a multidisciplinary research agenda aimed at improving the prediction and prevention of preterm labor and better understanding the health and developmental problems to which preterm infants are more vulnerable. In addition, the report recommends that guidelines be issued to further reduce the number of multiple births -- a significant risk factor for preterm birth -- resulting from infertility treatments.

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