Preterm Birth Disparities: Addressing Maternal Health Challenges

New data from the 2025 March of Dimes Report Card show the national preterm birth rate is 10.4%, with disproportionate burdens by race and insurance. These persistent gaps increase emergency maternity presentations and strain primary care and community resources.

Infants of Medicaid-insured mothers have a preterm birth rate of 11.7% versus 9.6% for privately insured births; infants born to Black mothers have the highest rate at 14.7%. Medicaid-covered populations more often initiate prenatal care later and experience fragmented follow-up—plausible drivers of excess preterm deliveries.

Integrating prioritized early access, simplified Medicaid navigation, and targeted social determinants of health screening into primary care workflows can help translate these findings into measurable improvements in perinatal outcomes.