Premature Pennies

With America's premature birth rate at over 12% (or 1 in every 8 deliveries), it is appalling that many of these premature births could be avoided with a little common sense -- and a little less common cents.

Watch these videos to understand the tragic consequences of premature birth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsFT1xEIHzM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC33uGceglM

Complications from premature birth include premature lungs, respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, apnea, infection, jaundice, bleeding of the brain, anemia, PDA, sepsis and death (http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/complicationspremature.htm).

One of the main causes for premature birth in the United States is the lack of prenatal care. In fact, the HRSA says that "babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be born at low birth weight and five times more likely to die, than those whose mothers received prenatal care" (http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/womeninfants/prenatal.htm).

Why do so many mothers forego proper prenatal care? Simply put, they can't afford it and they can't get insurance to cover it. Many seek payment plans that they can afford, but doctors and hospitals can be unwilling to perform prenatal care services without large up-front fees.

Money is more important to them than healthy babies.

From the hospital's perspective, this makes no sense -- especially when the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act dictates that they must care for premature babies with emergency medical conditions, regardless of the parents' ability to pay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act). Consider this: neonatal costs for premature babies can exceed $224,000, while the cost of prenatal care services without complications can be under $2,000 (http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/pregnancy/planning-pregnancy/financial-planning/cost-prenatal-care-delivery).

With these odds and the costs associated with a higher risk of preterm delivery without prenatal care, why don't hospitals offer free or reduced-fee prenatal care to mothers who do not have health insurance, can't afford prenatal care and do not qualify for state-sponsored welfare programs?

Instead, in an effort to otherwise be profitable, they set themselves up to lose money when babies suffer premature birth that could be avoided through proper prenatal care.

I am PRO MOM!!!
Aaron Bouren
Advocate Aaron