Pregnancies are getting shorter: Early-term births up by 20% since 2014 and pre-term births before 37 weeks up by 12%. Learn more about the factors contributing to this shift.
Early-term births at 37 or 38 weeks up by 20% since 2014
Pregnancies are getting shorter
Pre-term births before 37 weeks up by 12%
Pregnancies are getting shorter, with early-term births at 37 or 38 weeks up by 20% since 2014 and pre-term births before 37 weeks up by 12%. This shift is due to a variety of factors including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and convenience. The rise in early-term births can lead to complications such as not fully developed lungs or the ability to regulate temperature and sugar levels. It's important for women who are pregnant or experiencing headaches, changes in urination and high blood pressure to see their doctor right away.
Black mothers were almost twice as likely as white mothers to give birth before babies reached full term.
Women older than 40 had a greater risk of preterm birth compared with women aged 20-29.
Importantly, the rate reported by NCHS is a different calculation from another highly publicized preterm birth statistic.
Accuracy
The rate of preterm birth increased about 2% each year with some fluctuation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Black mothers were almost twice as likely as white mothers to give birth before babies reached full term, 12.5% versus 7.6% respectively.
Women older than 40 had a greater risk of preterm birth compared with women aged 20-29, 12.5% versus 8.23%.
Abortion bans could worsen preterm birth trends in southern and some western states.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the rate of premature births grew by 12% from 2014 to 2022 when in fact it only increased by around 3%. Secondly, the article uses a different calculation for preterm birth rates than other sources such as March of Dimes. This creates confusion and can lead readers to believe that the rate is higher than it actually is. Lastly, the article implies that abortion bans will worsen preterm birth trends when there is no evidence to support this claim.
Preterm birth rates are higher in the US than in developed democracies
The rate of premature births grew 12% from 2014 to 2022
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) without providing any context or explanation of how these statistics were obtained. Additionally, the author makes a false dichotomy by stating that preterm birth is either caused by stress or multi-factorial, when in reality it can be caused by various factors including genetics and environmental factors. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of racial and age disparities in preterm birth rates among mothers. The author also discusses the potential risks of starting families later in life and highlights ongoing racial disparities between Black women and their white and Hispanic counterparts. Additionally, the article mentions that researchers have hypothesized that these disparities may be attributable to weathering or premature aging due to stress from racism and deprivation.
Black mothers were almost twice as likely as white mothers to give birth before babies reached full term
Women older than 40 had a greater risk of preterm birth compared with women aged 20-29
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jessica Glenza has conflicts of interest on the topics of premature birth and abortion bans. She is a member of March of Dimes which advocates for maternal and infant health crisis.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jessica Glenza has conflicts of interest on the topics of premature birth and abortion bans. She is a member of March of Dimes which advocates for maternal and infant health crisis.
The preterm birth rate in the US has risen 12% from 2014 to 2022.
Early-term birth rates at 37 to 38 completed weeks rose by a larger percentage than full-term births during that time period.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the rise in preterm and early-term births in the US from 2014 to 2022. The author cites data from a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that shows an increase of 12% in preterm birth rates during this time period, while early-term birth rates rose by 37%. This is concerning as it raises risks to babies' health. The article also mentions a shift towards earlier pregnancies and births, which can have complications for the baby such as not being able to regulate their temperature or blood sugar properly. Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, is quoted in the article stating that this shift towards earlier births is concerning and can have complications for the baby's health.
Births delivered preterm are at the greatest risk of adverse outcomes
Early-term birth rates, at 37 to 38 completed weeks, rose by 20% compared to full-term births
The preterm birth rate rose 12% during that time period
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of preterm birth rates as they are reporting for KFF Health News which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The foundation supports research and programs related to maternal and child health, including reducing preterm births.
Early-term births at 37 or 38 weeks are up by 20% since 2014.
Pre-term births before 37 weeks are up by 12%.
Many factors including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and convenience are causing the rise in early-term births.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it implies that pregnancies are getting shorter when the actual statistic provided only shows an increase in early-term births at 37 or 38 weeks and pre-term births before 37 weeks. Secondly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that if a baby is born early term, not pre-term, there can be complications without providing any evidence to support this claim. Thirdly, the article implies that women should address health issues before getting pregnant when in fact it's recommended to get regular checkups during pregnancy and seek medical attention for symptoms such as headaches or changes in urination.
The article implies that women should address health issues before getting pregnant when in fact it's recommended to get regular checkups during pregnancy.
The article states 'Pregnancies are getting shorter', but only provides statistics on early-term births.
The author uses sensationalism by stating that if a baby is born early term, not pre-term, there can be complications without providing any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when citing Dr. Celine Gounder as a source for information about the rise in early-term births and their complications. However, this does not necessarily mean that her opinions are accurate or reliable.
Dr. Celine Gounder said many factors are causing the rise in early-term births, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and convenience.
Bias
(75%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable by saying 'experts have noticed more and more babies are being born earlier than expected'. This implies that the increase in early-term births is a negative thing, when it could be seen as a positive development for some people who may not want to carry their pregnancy full term. The author also uses language like 'complications' which can be interpreted as implying that pre-term births are inherently bad or dangerous, even though many babies born early term do just fine and have no complications.
even early term, there can be complications
experts have noticed more and more babies are being born earlier than expected
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Amy Oshier has a conflict of interest on the topic of pregnancies as she is an employee at Wink News which may have financial ties to companies or industries related to pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, Dr. Celine Gounder who was quoted in the article has a professional affiliation with organizations that advocate for maternal health.
Amy Oshier is an employee at Wink News which may have financial ties to companies or industries related to pregnancy and childbirth.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of pregnancies as she is an employee at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC provides funding to research pregnancy outcomes and may have financial ties with pharmaceutical companies that produce drugs used during pregnancy. Additionally, Dr. Gounder, who was mentioned in the article but not quoted directly, has a history of advocating for increased access to abortion which could be seen as conflicting with the topic of pregnancies.
The author mentions her role at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) multiple times throughout the article. The CDC provides funding to research pregnancy outcomes and may have financial ties with pharmaceutical companies that produce drugs used during pregnancy.
From 2014 to 2022, there was a shift toward shorter gestational age.
Increases of 12 and 20 percent were seen in preterm and early-term birth rates, respectively.
Declines of 6 and 28 percent were seen in full-term and late-and postterm births, respectively.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that there has been a shift towards shorter gestational age from 2014 to 2022 when in fact it only mentions changes during this period and not necessarily a shift. Secondly, the author uses phrases such as 'shift toward shorter gestational ages' which is misleading because it suggests an intentional change rather than just fluctuations. Thirdly, the article does not provide any context or explanation for these fluctuations making them seem arbitrary.
The title implies a shift towards shorter gestational age from 2014 to 2022 when in fact it only mentions changes during this period and not necessarily a shift.
The article does not provide any context or explanation for these fluctuations making them seem arbitrary.
The author uses phrases such as 'shift toward shorter gestational ages' which is misleading because it suggests an intentional change rather than just fluctuations.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by citing a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without providing any context or explanation of what the CDC is or why their findings should be trusted. Secondly, there are multiple instances where dichotomous depictions are used to describe gestational age categories such as
early preterm
late preterm
total preterm
early-term
Bias
(75%)
The article reports a shift towards shorter gestational age from 2014 to 2022. The author uses data from all birth certificates for singleton births registered in the United States during that time period and categorizes gestational age into different categories. However, there is no mention of any specific reason or cause for this shift.
Declines of 6 and 28 percent were seen in full-term and late-and postterm births, respectively
From 2014 to 2022, there was a shift toward shorter gestational age
Increases of 12 and 20 percent were seen in preterm and early-term birth rates, respectively
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with the topic 'gestational age' as she is an employee at National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland which produces National Vital Statistics Reports.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of gestational age as she is reporting for HealthDay.com which may have financial ties to companies or industries related to pregnancy and birth certificates.
