Executive Summary

Preterm births, defined as babies born before 37 weeks of gestation, occur in about 12 % of all U.S. pregnancies and are one of the leading causes of infant death. The U.S. preterm birth rate peaked in 2006 at 12.8%, and dropped to less than 12 % in 2010. California’s 2011 preterm rate of 9.8 % wa