State Senator Toni Nathaniel Harp
November 12, 2008
Harp Joins March of Dimes to Deliver Report Card on Premature Births in State
State Senator Toni N. Harp (D-New Haven) appeared today with March of Dimes officials and other healthcare experts to present and comment on Connecticut’s Prematurity Report Card for 2008. The March of Dimes awarded Connecticut only a ‘C’ because of the approximately 4,300 premature births in the state each year, Senator Harp said.
That total translates to a 10.4 percent premature birthrate, significantly higher than the 7.6 percent target set for Connecticut. According to the March of Dimes, no state in the nation received an ‘A’ grade for its premature birthrate and only one — Vermont — received a ‘B.’ Connecticut is one of eight to have earned a ‘C’ grade while the nation as a whole earned a disappointing ‘D.’
“It’s clear the best time for a woman to begin preparing for a healthy baby is long before she begins a pregnancy,” Senator Harp explained at today’s press conference. “Likewise, the best time for us as a society to begin helping women is long before a pregnancy begins — in fact, long before women even reach child-bearing age.”
Senator Harp said racial, ethnic, and economic factors figure prominently in premature birthrates, especially as they impact whether or not women have health insurance coverage. It’s estimated one in seven Connecticut women have no health insurance. Senator Harp said that while Connecticut has made strides to make more women eligible for coverage, especially through its landmark HUSKY program, health insurance alone doesn’t address all the issues.
“If we’re going to make healthcare more accessible by expanding public-sector insurance enrollment, then we’re going to have to make it culturally accessible, too,” Senator Harp said. “Medical interpreters, bilingual clerks, bicultural counselors and medical professionals can help deliver not only essential medical services, but other vital information about healthy choices to be made before, during, and immediately following pregnancies.”
Senator Harp said the return-on-investment for high-quality and thorough prenatal care is self-evident: the average delivery cost for premature births is $41,000, compared with the $3,000 average cost of a full-term delivery. Furthermore, pre-term babies are much more likely to face a lifetime of health problems, constantly struggling for good health.
Senator Harp said she will work with her legislative colleagues to maintain funding for women’s healthcare in the new biennial budget despite the challenging economic climate.
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