Union County Public Health Profile Report
Preterm Births: Percentage of Live Births, 2019
Union 9.5%95% Confidence Interval (8.8% - 10.2%)Description of the Confidence IntervalThe confidence interval indicates the range of probable true values for the level of risk in the community.
A value of "NA" (Not Available) will appear if the confidence interval was not published with the NJSHAD indicator data for this measure.State 9.5%U.S. 10.2%Union Compared to State
Description of GaugeDescription of the Gauge
This graphic is based on the county data to the left. It compares the county value of this indicator to the state overall value.- Excellent = The county's value on this indicator is BETTER than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
- Watch = The county's value is BETTER than state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
- Improvement Needed = The county's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, but the difference IS NOT statistically significant.
- Reason for Concern = The county's value on this indicator is WORSE than the state value, and the difference IS statistically significant.
The county value is considered statistically significantly different from the state value if the state value is outside the range of the county's 95% confidence interval. If the county's data or 95% confidence interval information is not available, a blank gauge image will be displayed with the message, "missing information."NOTE: The labels used on the gauge graphic are meant to describe the county's status in plain language. The placement of the gauge needle is based solely on the statistical difference between the county and state values. When selecting priority health issues to work on, a county should take into account additional factors such as how much improvement could be made, the U.S. value, the statistical stability of the county number, the severity of the health condition, and whether the difference is clinically significant.
Why Is This Important?
Prematurity increases the risk for infant morbidity and mortality. Infants born preterm are at greater risk of dying in the first month of life. Preterm infants may require intensive care at birth and are at higher risk of developmental disabilities and chronic illnesses throughout life. They are more likely to require special education services. Health care costs and length of hospital stay are higher for preterm infants. The more preterm an infant is born, the more severe the health problems are likely to be.How Are We Doing?
Preterm birth is highly correlated with plurality. While 7.8% of singletons are born preterm, more than half of twins and nearly all triplets are born prior to 37 completed weeks of gestation. For very preterm births, the rates are 1.1%, 10.8%, and 28.2%, respectively. New Jersey's overall preterm birth rate has decreased from 10.4% in 2006 to 9.5% in 2017-2019. The very preterm birth rate among all pluralities declined from 1.8% in 2006 to 1.5% in 2017-2019 and, among singletons, the rate declined from 1.4% in 2000 to 1.1% in 2019. The preterm birth rate among Black mothers (13.8%) remains significantly higher than among other racial/ethnic groups (8.3%-9.9%).What Is Being Done?
The [http://www.nj.gov/health/fhs/ Division of Family Health Services] in the New Jersey Department of Health administers programs to enhance the health, safety and well-being of families and communities in New Jersey. Several programs are aimed at improving birth outcomes.Evidence-based Practices
[https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pretermcdc-activities.html CDC Preterm Birth Activities] [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6532a4.htm CDC Grand Rounds: Public Health Strategies to Prevent Preterm Birth]Healthy People Objective MICH-9:
Reduce preterm birthsU.S. Target: [[br]]Preterm (<37 weeks): 11.4% [[br]]Very preterm (<32 weeks): 1.8%
Related Indicators
Risk Factors:
Health Status Outcomes:
Data Sources
Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, New Jersey Department of HealthMeasure Description for Preterm Births
Definition: Percent of live born infants born before 37 weeks (preterm) or before 32 weeks (very preterm) of gestation based on obstetric estimate
Preterm is synonymous with premature. Infants born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered preterm and those born before 32 weeks of pregnancy are considered very preterm. Infants born at or after 37 weeks of pregnancy are called full term. Most pregnancies last around 40 weeks.
Numerator: Number of live born infants born before 37 weeks (preterm) or before 32 weeks (very preterm) of gestation based on obstetric estimate
Denominator: Number of live infants born to resident mothers
