LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas has once again earned an "F" grade for infant and maternal health in the annual March of Dimes Report Card, and Missouri earned a "D" grade.

The report showed that the grade for Arkansas after 2024 came from its having a preterm birth rate of 12.1% and an infant mortality rate of 8.2%. While the preterm birth rate is unchanged from the 2023 score, the 8.2% infant mortality rate is higher than the 7.7% score for 2023. Nationally, the preterm mortality rate was 10.4%, with half of all states receiving a D or F ranking in the study.

The 2024 ranking places Arkansas 47th nationally for preterm births and 51st nationally for infant mortality. The study included Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico as locations for the by-state rankings.

This article was adapted from the original.

The full article is available at ozarksfirst.com.

(Alex Kienlen, ozarksfirst.com)