NEW YORK, March 17 (Xinhua) -- About 1 in 10 live births in the United States in 2021 occurred prematurely -- before 37 weeks of gestation -- according to a March of Dimes report released late last year.

"That's a higher rate of premature births than in most developed countries; research in recent years has cited rates of 7.4 percent in England and Wales, 6 percent in France, and 5.8 percent in Sweden," said the National Public Radio (NPR) on Wednesday in its report on the data.

Many maternal-fetal specialists worry that the incidence of premature birth could soon soar, with abortion now banned in at least 13 states and sharply restricted in 12 others, according to the report.

"States that restrict abortion have fewer maternal care providers than states with abortion access," it cited a recent analysis by the Commonwealth Fund.

Meanwhile, startling new research shows that at every U.S. income level, Black women and their infants experience far worse birth outcomes than their white counterparts.

"In other words, all the resources that come with wealth do not protect Black women or their babies from preterm complications," noted NPR in its report. Enditem

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