Interventions to affect health equity and preterm birth prevention

Preterm birth is a complex public health problem, and addressing the problem will involve public health strategies that look beyond biomedical approaches to consider social, behavioral, and environmental factors that contribute to prematurity. A number of programs have been initiated that take a population-based approach to prevent “preventable” preterm births, those that are not medically necessary. One such program is the Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait program in Kentucky organized by the March of Dimes, Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute and the Kentucky Department of Public Health. When addressing the added dimension of disparities in pregnancy outcomes, additional issues may need to be incorporated in the program, including removing barriers to access, developing culturally appropriate educational materials for consumers, involving women in their own care and families in decision making about care.