2026 OCAP State of the Child Report

PRETERM BIRTHS PRETERM BIRTHS ARE INCREASING, WITH BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE REFLECTING THE GREATEST DISPARITIES DESCRIPTION OF INDICATOR This indicator reports the percentage of total annual preterm births at less than 37 weeks of gestation including the percentage breakdowns by age and race/ethnicity.

Why is this indicator important?

Findings 1-2 • Locally and nationally, the percentage of preterm births is increasing. • In 2024, 1 in 10 babies (9.8% of live births) were born preterm in Riverside County. • The rate of preterm birth in Riverside County in 2024 by race/ethnicity group was highest for American Indian/Alaska Native (14.5%), followed by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (12.5%), Black/African American (12.0%), Multiracial (10.9%), Asian (9.8%), Hispanic (9.2%), and White (8.2%). • Compared with singleton births, multiple births in Riverside County were 7 times as likely to be preterm in 2024.

Babies born too soon are often born too small and while the causes of preterm birth and low birthweight can differ, the two conditions frequently overlap. Multiple births carry substantially higher risk. Beyond the emotional and financial strain on families, preterm birth places a significant burden on communities through higher health care costs, increased educational needs, and greater demand for social support services. The causes are complex and interconnected, involving maternal health, behavioral and psychosocial factors, environmental exposures and neighborhood conditions. Preterm births are a leading cause of infant mortality, death in children under 5, and long-term disabilities. 2

1 March of Dimes. (n.d.). PeriStats. https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats 2 California Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Preterm birth dashboard. https://go.cdph.ca.gov/Preterm-Birth-Dashboard

12