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Article published Feb 6, 2004
Premature babies costing state millions, 'Right Start' report finds

PAMELA HAMILTON
Associated Press

COLUMBIA -- Fewer teenage mothers are having babies and more mothers are getting prenatal care, but too many babies are being born too soon and too small, an annual report tracking the health of South Carolina's children found.South Carolina Kids Count, a nonprofit organization that tracks trends in educational and social behavior, released a survey Thursday that looked at eight indicators of a baby's health and well-being.The report, "The Right Start," found that the number of teens giving birth declined by 15 percent from 1990 until 2001, the most recent year statistics are available. The report also showed a 13 percent decline in the number of teen moms having a second child.There also were fewer births to mothers without a high school degree, the report found.The number of babies being born to single parents, however, is on the rise, as is the number of babies born prematurely and those born with low birthweight.The number of babies born prematurely has increased by 13 percent over the 11-year period, while the number of babies born with low birthweight has risen by 10 percent.That poses an expensive problem for the state, Kids Count Director Baron Holmes said. It costs about $166 million a year to hospitalize newborns who weigh too little to be healthy, Kids Count's analysis of hospital discharge records show.More than 60 percent of that cost is covered by Medicaid, which is funded with tax dollars from the state and federal government."We can save ourselves a lot of money by getting our babies off to the right start," Holmes said.That's one of the reasons it's important to educate mothers and others about risks that contribute to premature birth and get out the message that it can affect anyone, said Erin Wilson, spokeswoman with the March of Dimes.Michele Reeves, 39, of Simpsonville gave birth five years ago to Amanda, a baby so small her father could fit his wedding band around her thigh."As a new mother, all I got to see was pictures of my new baby. I didn't get to hold my baby," Reeves said. "I didn't get to see her face. And it was heartbreaking."Reeves, who delivered at 26 weeks, said she had always believed mothers who delivered prematurely were those who received little or no prenatal care, those who smoked or those who were too young. "That is the perception," she said.The March of Dimes last year began a $75 million, five-year campaign to combat that perception by educating mothers about better prenatal care and the risks associated with premature births. The group also is sponsoring research to find out why mothers give birth early."If we can raise the awareness ... then we can have a huge impact on the problem," Wilson said.