NEW ORLEANS — November 17 is World Prematurity Day, and for the second year in a row, the United States has been labeled as one of the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth.
The U.S. received an overall D-plus grade for high preterm birth rate, according to the Infant and Maternal Health non-profit March of Dimes.
Louisiana was one of 8 states to earn an F grade. New Orleans was ranked as the 4th worst city in the U.S.
The new report found infants born to black mothers were 1.5 times more likely to be born preterm than all other babies.
Lisa Hood was eight months pregnant when she had to undergo an emergency C-section. Unsure if her daughters would live, Hood says they were sent to the NICU-making the journey she faced as a new mom even harder.
"I would visit them every day, but you know, of course, you're on a time limit. You had to leave NICU a certain time of day," Hood said. "You can't stay there long with them. You only probably feed them once a day, and you're recouping as well, so I didn't have the time I wanted to bond with them."
Today, her daughters are 27 years old. Hood says she doesn't feel our healthcare system is any better now than it was back then.
The report also noted the dangerous rise in maternal deaths, with the rate doubling between 2018 and 2021.
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