About one out of ten babies in California is born prematurely. That rate has earned the state a "C" in a new report card from the March of Dimes. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
The March of Dimes report says California has a lower premature birth rate than the national average.
But that's not saying much. The report gives the U.S. a D overall when it comes to the country's rate of preterm births.
Leslie Kowalewski is with the March of Dimes. She says part of the problem is too many women choose to have a C section before their baby is full term.
Kowalewski: Women don't realize that every day, every hour counts in the development of the baby. And we need those babies to stay in utero for as long as possible.
Kowalewski says other factors contributing to preterm births include a lack of prenatal care and mothers' smoking.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
