This year’s March of Dimes Report Card on Premature Births offers a comprehensive overview of the health of moms and babies across the U.S. The report grades the U.S., states, Puerto Rico and 100 cities on preterm birth rates, and includes other information such as infant death, states’ efforts on Medicaid expansion and extension, health insurance status, inadequate prenatal care, among other factors and outlines important policy solutions that can make a difference.

The report card, released last week, said the state’s rate of preterm births, often called premature births, climbed to 11.7% in 2019, continuing a steady climb from a bottom of 10.7% in 2013. It’s the second straight year that Georgia has received a failing grade in the report.

Being born too early is the largest contributor to infant death. And babies who survive an early birth often face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays.

Black women in Georgia and nationally have higher percentages of preterm births, the March of Dimes report shows.

Lack of Medicaid expansion in Georgia is a top-factor in the “F” grade received by the state, according to the March of Dimes annual report card.

For more information from the March of Dimes, click here.