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Raising Awareness of Preterm Birth Rates

Floor Speech

Date: Nov. 17, 2025
Location: Washington, DC

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, the United States has one of the highest preterm birth rates in the world, which is a leading cause of infant mortality.

Today, the March of Dimes released its 2025 report card on the state of maternal and infant health. The United States received a D-plus for preterm birthrate for the fourth consecutive year in a row.

In 2024, 380,000 babies were born prematurely. That is 10.4 percent of all babies born. The worst rates are in the southern region of the United States.

These statistics are personal for me. My daughter was born 9 weeks early when my placenta ruptured. We both nearly died. She spent the next 6 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. We were among the lucky ones. Far too many mothers and babies don't have that same outcome.

Mr. Speaker, today I join Representatives Jennifer Kiggans and Robin Kelly to introduce a bipartisan resolution to designate November 2025 as Prematurity Awareness Month, and I join my colleagues to do more to prevent preterm births.

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