Prematurity Awareness Month

Help end preventable preterm birth

In 2022, 1 in every 10 infants born in the United States was born prematurely, putting them at a higher risk for disability and death. This November, join NICHQ in raising awareness about preterm birth and reducing the risks to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

Supporting Healthy Pregnancies

Protect the Health of ALL Families, Mothers, and Babies

In 2022, 1 in every 10 infants born in the United States was born prematurely, putting them at a higher risk for long-term health problems and complications, disability, and death. A preterm birth is defined as a birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Important growth happens during the final weeks of pregnancy, making preterm labor dangerous, especially without medical intervention.

While the causes of preterm births can be unknown, some steps can be taken to support healthy pregnancies and reduce the risk.

  • Schedule a preconception checkup to ensure your body is ready for pregnancy
  • Wait at least 18 months between pregnancies so your body can recover
  • Protect yourself from infections
  • Stay healthy with whole foods and physical activity
  • Avoid harmful substances, alcohol, and smoking
  • Know the signs and symptoms of preterm labor
  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Preterm birth. LINK
  2. March of Dimes. (2025). World Prematurity Day. LINK

NICHQ INitiatives

Our Preterm Birth Work

Preterm birth, a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity, disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous mothers and babies. Learn helpful strategies for reducing preterm birth rates from NICHQ’s evidence-based projects.

Supporting Healthy Start Performance Project

Healthy Start is a community-based federal program seeking to eliminate disparities in infant mortality and perinatal outcomes by working to improve systems of community care in communities with infant mortality rates at least 1.5 times the U.S. national average.

Learn more

National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives

NICHQ works to enhance the coordination and communication of perinatal quality collaboratives across the nation, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes for mothers and newborns.

Learn more

Maternal Health Action & Resource Center (MHARC)

The newly established MHARC will provide capacity building assistance (CBA), training, and technical assistance (TTA) to State Maternal Health Innovation awardees and other Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – Maternal and Child Health Bureau award recipients. This center will broadly share and disseminate information about evidence-based strategies and guidance with the purpose of enhancing and strengthening recipients’ ability to improve maternal health outcomes for all populations in their communities in order to advance maternal health nationally.

Learn more

Community-Centered Hospital Initiative (CCHI)

The Community-Centered Hospital Initiative (CCHI) centers communities to uplift their capacity as leaders in improving perinatal and infant health by recognizing their expertise and building on their existing practices and processes.

Learn more

Exploring State-Level Strategies to Improve Maternal Health and Birth Outcomes

This initiative will develop four case studies on the successes and barriers of individual state efforts to address preterm births. This work is part of a larger initiative to gain insights and perspective on how maternal health and well-being can help support optimum child health outcomes.

Learn more

Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes: Developmental Impact of NICU Exposures (ECHO DINE)

A research study on the long-term impact on health of environmental exposures in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Learn more

Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Reduce Infant Mortality (Infant Mortality CoIIN)

A multiyear national movement engaging federal, state and local leaders, public and private agencies, professionals, and communities to employ quality improvement, innovation and collaborative learning to reduce infant mortality and improve birth outcomes.

Learn more

Spread the Word

Prematurity Awareness Month Social Media Toolkit

Help shine a light on the state of maternal and child health in the United States and beyond using this social media toolkit from March of Dimes.

Prematurity Awareness Month Toolkit

Support the advancement of research, education, and advocacy

Download the Kit

Publications

Statewide Initiative to Reduce Postnatal Growth Restriction among Infants <31 Weeks of Gestation

Nutritional practices cut postnatal growth restriction in NY preemies by 19% from 2010 to 2013.

Sampling infants born <31 weeks of gestation and admitted to a New York State Regional Perinatal Center within 48 hours of birth who survived to hospital discharge, the New York State Perinatal Quality Collaborative aimed to improve neonatal growth by adopting better nutritional practices.

Findings

The study aimed to decrease the incidence of postnatal growth restriction, defined as discharge weight <10th percentile for postmenstrual age, among preterm infants in New York. We found that statewide collaborative quality improvement in neonatal growth outcomes that were associated with improved neurodevelopment.

Read More

NICHQ Insights

Reading List for Prematurity Awareness Month

At NICHQ, we are committed to making healthy pregnancies and infant safety the national norm. Check out our insights to learn how you can support this initiative.

View all insights

Coordinated Systems Are Key to Addressing Rising Preterm Birth Rates

Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity in the U.S. And troublingly, recent data show that U.S. preterm birth rates have risen for the fourth consecutive year. Improvement starts by identifying which programs and policies do successfully support mothers, understanding what makes them successful, and then using those lessons to prompt…

Read more

Collaborative Approach Helps Minnesota Accelerate Improvement

Many vital systems, such as the lungs and brain, complete their development during a baby’s last weeks of gestation. So, when a baby is born preterm (before 37 weeks) there is an increased risk of health-related complications and infant mortality. Because nearly 1 in 10 babies is born preterm in the United States, reducing preterm births is…

Read more

Supporting the Whole Family: Fathers in Infant Health Outcomes

Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity in the U.S. And troublingly, recent data show that U.S. preterm birth rates have risen for the fourth consecutive year. Improvement starts by identifying what programs and policies do successfully support families, understanding what makes them successful, and then using those lessons to prompt…

Read more

Improving Healthcare Environments for Vulnerable Newborns

Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) provide life-saving care for preterm babies. But, as with any urgent, intensive healthcare treatment, there is also the possibility for adverse long-term health concerns. One of the newest concerns for NICU babies is exposure to chemicals that can be hazardous to their health, specifically phthalates, a chemical softener for plastics….

Read more

Neonatologist Shares Successful Strategies for Improving Infant Health Outcomes

Babies born in the United States have a higher chance of death than babies born in more than 50 other countries in the world. Through national and local initiatives, infant mortality rates have dropped in recent years, and quality improvement efforts across the country are building on those successes to address this alarming statistic. To…

Read more

NICHQ News

Stay in the Loop

Get information on observances like Prematurity Awareness Month and other NICHQ news delivered directly to your inbox.

Additional Articles & Resources

March of Dimes Report Card

The 2025 March of Dimes Report Card highlights the latest national and state-level data to provide insight into maternal and infant health, plus recommended actions for positive change.

Visit the Site

Signs and Symptoms of Preterm Labor

Labor before 37 weeks may cause severe problems for your baby. Know the signs of preterm labor and what to do if you go into labor early.

Visit the Site