Oct. 2025 — Medically reviewed by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield clinical staff
The United States has one of the highest preterm birth rates among high-income nations. Research continues to show preterm delivery disparities across racial and ethnic groups. Read below to learn more.
Health care providers are critical in promoting early and high quality prenatal care, which can significantly reduce preterm births and improve outcomes for both mothers and babies. If a mother does not receive prenatal care, her baby is three times more likely to have low birth weight and five times more likely to die, compared to mothers who did receive prenatal care.1
Tips to help reduce preterm birth disparities
- Integrate routine screening and actively address social determinants of health (SDOH) such as housing instability, food insecurity and transportation barriers within clinical practice. Even small adjustments in care processes or resource referrals can have a significant impact for expectant mothers and their babies.2
- Allow patients to bring their children or family members to appointments. This approach helps overcome barriers like limited access to childcare or transportation, making it easier for expectant mothers to get prenatal care.
- Ensure patients have access to interpreter services. Whenever possible, provide in-person interpretation. If it is unavailable, offer phone or video interpretation to support diverse language needs.
- Educate patients to recognize signs of preterm labor and to promote birth preparedness.3
- Implement training on cultural competence focused on maternal and infant health. These programs should improve communication to build trust and care quality for racially and ethnically diverse patients.
- Offer telehealth visits, when clinically appropriate, to enhance access, convenience and continuity of care.
Get support through Wellmark Case Management
Health care providers can refer high-risk pregnant patients to Wellmark’s Case Management Program for personalized support and comprehensive care coordination. This service is designed to help address disparities in preterm birth and improve health outcomes for both mothers and babies. A referral can be initiated by you or the patient. To learn more, call 1-800-552-3993 ask to speak to a case manager.
By the numbers
Data shows that preterm birth rates are significantly higher among some racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. According to the March of Dimes, from 2021-2023 some populations experienced notably higher rates of preterm births compared to other groups, underscoring the ongoing need to address these health inequities. See below for average preterm birth rates by race.4
United States
Iowa
South Dakota
Learn more
HEDIS® measures for prenatal and postpartum care include5:
- Timeliness of Prenatal Care: The percentage of deliveries that received a prenatal care visit in the first trimester.
- Postpartum Care: The percentage of deliveries that had a postpartum visit on or between 7 and 84 days after delivery.
Review Wellmark’s provider tip sheets that align with Prenatal and Postpartum Care HEDIS measures.
Resources
1Office on Women's Health. (n.d.). Prenatal care. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2024, November). Addressing social and structural determinants of health in the delivery of reproductive health care (Committee Statement No. 11).
3Lu, M. C., & Halfon, N. (2003). Racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes: A life-course perspective. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 7(1), 13–30.
4March of Dimes. (n.d.). PeriStats: Maternal and infant health data.
5Content reproduced with permission from HEDIS® MY2025, Volume 2: Technical Specifications for Health Plans by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). To purchase copies of the publication, including the full measures and specifications, visit ncqa.org/publications.