Preterm births are VERY costly – Feb 2017

IndieBirths Jan 2017

• “In 2005 the estimated cost for preterm birth in the United States was $26.2 billion annually, above the average cost of term births.”
• “Preterm babies are [also] at higher risks for complications and health issues such as jaundice, retinopathy of prematurity, and chronic lung disease.”

March of Dimes 2016: preterm

Non-Hispanic white	8.9%
Hispanic	9.1%
Non-Hispanic black	13.4%

Premature birth -The financial impact on business March of Dimes    PDF

Average employer expenditures for newborn care

• "Costs per infant include all employer payments for newborn medical care during the first year of life."
• "Employers pay 12 times as much in health care costs for premature/low birthweight (LBW) babies as for babies born without complications."
• "Each premature/LBW baby costs employers an additional $49,760 in newborn health care costs.
  When maternal costs are added, employers and their employees pay $58,917 more when a baby is born prematurely."
• "With 1 in 9 babies born prematurely, employers spend more on that one premature baby than on the remaining eight babies combined."
• figures from Truven Health Analytics, Inc. Costs of Preterm Birth. Prepared for March of Dimes, 2013

Premature/low birth weight infants stay in hospital almost two seeks longer

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Economics of preterm birth reduction

Assumptions: additional $50,000 per premature birth, $100 for education & supplements per pregnancy

	Net savings per birth After subtract all costs	# needed to eliminate 1 preterm	Cost of educ, supp per pregnancy	Total cost Educ/supp.	Cost of test per pregnancy	Total test costs	Net savings after subtract costs
Vitamin D (5,000 IU avg)	$4,300	20	$100	$2,000	$200%%%(2 tests)	$4,000	$43,000
Omega-3	$646	67	$100	$6,700	$0	$0	$43,300
Vitamin C reduces early rupture	$646	67	$100	$6,700	$0	$0	$43,300
Iodine	$320	100	$100	$10,000	$80	$8,000	$32,000

Does not include additional savings to infant beyond the first year
   such as reductions in Autism, MS, Respiratory Tract Infection, Asthma, Allergies
Does not include additional savings to mother
   such as reduction in preeclampsia, miscarriage, gestational diabetes, depression
   nor does it assign any costs for anguish of possible premie death, stillbirth, time off from work, job productivity

Of course, the percentages cannot add up to 100%, which would = ZERO premature births
However, guess that the combination might result in a $3,500 average savings per birth
   including reduction of preterm as well as other benefits to mother and child

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Preterm birth and low Vitamin D - many studies

Details of pregnancy-related cost reductions for other supplements

Omega-3

• Pregnancy and infants healthier with Omega-3 supplementation - many studies
• Typical pregnancy is now 39 weeks – Omega-3 and Vitamin D might restore it to full 40 weeks

Vitamin C

• The Role of Vitamin C in Prevention of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes
  RCT 2013, 100 mg of Vitamin C     Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

Iodine

• Iodine added during pregnancy reduces preterm births, increases IQ. Etc.

Magnesium

• Pregnancy helped by Magnesium - many studies

All nutrients

• Micronutrients (such as Vitamin D) needed during pregnancy – May 2016

Folic Acid

• Vitamin D is 100X better than folic acid during pregnancy
  • Giving Folic Acid before 2,000 births would reduce
    • 1 Spina Bifida birth
    • 100 preterm births