South Dakota Gets D+ for Rising Preterm Birth Rate

In further evidence that South Dakota struggles to live up to the “pro-life” sloganeering of its one-party regime, The March of Dimes gives South Dakota a D+ for its pre-term birth rate. 10.4% of births in South Dakota happen before they ought to. That’s actually equal to the national rate, but the March of Dimes isn’t grading on a curve; the national average is bad, so 25 states get Ds or Fs:

Nebraska has the highest preterm birth rate in our seven-state region. Minnesota has the lowest.

Preterm births have been rising in South Dakota for the past decade, with just a small dip in 2022 that barely eats into the ten-year increase:

Preterm births are notably most common among our American Indian population:

…due to the prevalence of a variety of health factors:

The March of Dimes identifies seven policies states can implement to reduce preterm births and improve other pregnancy outcomes. South Dakota has extended Medicaid for women postpartum, expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (good work, 2022 voters!), and enacted a federally funded maternal mortality review committee. March of Dimes reports South Dakota has not adopted paid family leave, Medicaid reimbursement for doulas, fetal and infant mortality review, or a perinatal quality collaborative.