AUSTIN, Texas — The annual March of Dimes report found preterm births increased in 2021, indicating that maternal and infant health is poor.
The State of Texas received a D- grade with 11.4% of babies being born at less than 37 weeks into pregnancy. A full-term baby starts at 39 weeks.
Erin Stangland, maternal and infant health initiatives director at March of Dimes, said more preterm babies were born during the pandemic.
"COVID changed the way providers were able to provide care," she said. "We know that low staffing affected hospitals. We know that the fear of COVID might have kept people away from those important appointments."
And Texas' high rate of uninsured folks only adds to the problem.
Keelee Mosleey had her boy, Adrian, four years ago. While today she speaks of her son with a smile on her face, four years ago, Mosleey only hoped her baby made it to see another day.
"He was born at 23 weeks," she said. "So, he was a little guy, which is considered a micro-preemie. "
Adrian weighed one pound when he was born and suffered a number of complications.
"He was very, very small," Mosleey said. "We stayed in a NICU for 144 days. We spent a long time there. "
And while Mosleey had access to care, many women across Central Texas don't.
Difficulty accessing care means Texas received a failing grade for its high number of pre-term births.
Here in Central Texas, Travis County got a C+ grade, but other Central Texas counties failed:
- Bastrop County: D
- Caldwell County: F
- Burnet County: D+
"We know that the cost of living in Austin is becoming incredibly high," Stangland said. "So more and more families are having to move further out of Austin. And we know that the further you get out of the city, the longer you have to travel to prenatal care."
Another question is will the number of pre-term births continue to rise because of abortion restrictions in the state?
"If women do not have access to quality, prenatal, preventive and postpartum care, we do worry that this might impact maternal health outcomes here in Texas," Stangland said.
Stangland said changes need to be made.
"We need to extend Medicaid here in Texas so moms have the access to care during their pregnancy and a full year postpartum," she said.
Because being able to avoid something like what Mosleey went through is ideal.