The real cost of preterm birth – how to save lives and save millions

Nearly 10% of babies born in the United States are born premature — which results in not only adverse health outcomes for mom and baby, but also significant healthcare costs. According to the March of Dimes, a premature baby spends an average of 25.4 days in a speciality care nursery at an average cost of $144,692. The cost associated with preterm birth adds $26.2 billion to U.S healthcare costs each year.

Ovia Health is reducing incidences of preterm births

Ovia Health is actively reducing preterm births, helping moms have healthy, full-term deliveries. We do this by identifying risk factors — such as history of preterm bith, short or insufficient cervix, and multiple gestation — and providing women with personalized guidance and information to help them make choices that reduce the risk of preterm delivery.

For example, if a woman has a history of preterm birth, we deliver content prompting her to ask her provider about progesterone, an effective treatment in reducing the risk of preterm delivery. If she indicates that she has been prescribed progesterone, she will then be delivered prompts to aid with medication adherence. 

This engagement, coupled with the Ovia Health Behavior Change Framework, is essential in reducing preterm delivery rates and helping more babies stay out of the NICU. Ovia Health has been able to reduce rates of preterm births by 25%.

Preterm Birth Delivery Interventions

Ovia Health is also conducting groundbreaking research about preterm delivery interventions. Our latest research has been published by and presented with the Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, two of the most prominent authorities in the women’s health medical landscape. 

When Ovia Health identifies risk factors for preterm delivery early in a woman’s pregnancy, we can prevent preterm births, improve health outcomes for moms and babies, and significantly reduce healthcare costs for employers and health plans.

Download our new whitepaper to learn more about how Ovia Health leverages engagement, behavior change theories, and physician-developed health programs to reduce the risk of preterm birth.