Georgia Scores an F on the March of Dimes 2024 Report Card

What is the March of Dimes?

The March of Dimes is an 87-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to research, programs, education, and advocacy for mothers and babies “regardless of wealth, race, gender, or geography.” The organization began with the help of President Franklin D. Roosevelt whose “personal struggle with polio led to the creation of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, better known as March of Dimes.” The March of Dimes helped provide early polio vaccine research. The organization now focuses on a broad range of birth defects and preventing infant mortality.

What birth factors does the March of Dimes evaluate?

Every year, the March of Dimes issues report cards for the US states, providing scores (from A to F) on how each state is handling maternal and infant care. The report cards analyze the following:

• Preterm birth. Preterm birth is defined as the birth of a child within 37 completed weeks of gestation:
  • Late preterm birth is 34 to less than 37 weeks
  • Moderate preterm birth is 32 to less than 37 weeks
  • Very preterm is less than 32 weeks
• Infant mortality and morbidity. Infant mortality includes babies who die before they reach the age of one. In the US, nearly 20,000 babies die each year from birth defects, preterm birth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Maternal mortality and morbidity. This definition refers to “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of the termination of a pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management, but not due to accidental or incidental causes of death.”
• Birth defects. “Birth defects are generally referred to as abnormalities of structure, function, or metabolism (body chemistry) present at birth that result in physical or mental disabilities, or death.”
• Prenatal care. This health factor refers to healthcare during pregnancy, including screening and testing for various infant and maternal medical conditions and interventions for risky behaviors such as smoking and poor nutrition.
• Low birthweight refers to babies who weigh less than 5 ½ pounds. When babies are born too small, it’s often because they are born prematurely.
• Other health factors, which include pre-conception health and social determinants of health.

The March of Dimes birth report cards for 2024

The online report cards were not very good for the entire country. Sadly, for the entire United States in 2024, the grade was a “D+.” Only the state of Vermont received a grade of “A” for 2024. Georgia received an overall grade of “F.”

Georgia’s preterm birth report card

Georgia received an F score from the March of Dimes for many reasons, including the following:

Preterm birth

• Georgia’s preterm birth rate for 2024 was 11.8 percent (compared to the national average of 10.4). Georgia ranked 45^th out of all US states and the District of Columbia. The preterm birth rate for Atlanta was 11.5 and the preterm birth rate for Chatham County (home to Savannah) was 12.8 percent.
• The Georgia preterm birth rates by background/race were as follows:
  • Pacific Islander. 8.7 percent.
  • 9.5 percent.
  • 10.0 percent.
  • 10.3 percent.
  • American Indian/Alaska native. 14.6 percent.
  • 15.0 percent.

The Georgia preterm birth rates for mothers with health conditions were as follows:

• Unhealthy weight:6 percent; 36.3 percent of all births.
• Smoking: 8 percent; 2.6 percent of all births.
• Hypertension:5 percent; 3.2 percent of all births.
• Diabetes:8 percent; 1.2 percent of all births.

Infant mortality

The infant mortality rate for Georgia in 2024 was 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to the national rate of 5.6 per 1,000. Georgia is rated 43^rd in this category. The infant mortality rate among Black infants in Georgia was 9.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The report card states that for 2020-2022; the leading causes of infant mortality in Georgia were:

• Birth defects:6 percent.
• PTB/LBW (Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight):1 percent.
• SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome):8 percent.
• Accidents:2 percent.

Maternal health

Some of the factors that contribute to poor maternal health in Georgia are extreme heat and poor air quality. The March of Dimes report states that extreme heat is a risk factor in Georgia 39 days of the year and poor air quality is a risk factor for 3 days of the year.

Clinical measures

Other birth and maternal risk factors include high rates of maternal mortality (deaths of birth parents during pregnancy or within 6 weeks after the delivery), low-risk Cesarean births (where the pregnancy is at least 37 weeks along), and inadequate prenatal care (“women who received care beginning in the fifth month or later or less than 50% of the appropriate number of visits for the infant’s gestational age.”)

Policy measures

The March of Dimes report states that Georgia has only adopted one of four recommended midwifery policies. Georgia has accepted pay parity. The state has not accepted or implemented prescriptive authority, independent practice, and licensure for certified midwives.

Georgia has accepted or implemented Medicaid extensions (for women up to one year after the delivery) and postpartum mental health counseling. Georgia has not accepted or implemented Medicaid expansion (which allows birthing people greater access to preventative care during pregnancy), Medicaid reimbursement for doula care, paid family leave, or a “CDC funded maternal mortality review committee and reviews of fetal and infant deaths.”

The good news is that Georgia, compared to 2023, improved its preterm birth rate score, preterm disparity ratio, maternal mortality rate, and adequate PNC (postnatal care). The scores for infant mortality and low-risk Cesareans have worsened.

At Harris Lowry Manton, our lawyers handle birth injury claims and the many different types of accidents that cause infant deaths. Our record of success includes many settlements and verdicts for one million dollars and more, including jury verdicts of $30.5 million for a cerebral palsy birth injury claim and $5 million for the family of a mother who died after childbirth due to hospital negligence. We also obtained settlements of birth injury cases for $5.4 million, $3.35 million, $2.8 million, and $1.1 million. While past results can’t predict future outcomes, our track record shows that we have the experience to handle these complex legal claims.

Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.