How Reducing Premature Births Can Lower Employer Costs: An Evidence-Driven Strategy

Stork Club Team -

Premature births, defined as births occurring before 37 weeks of gestation, are a significant public health issue in the United States. Not only do they pose severe health risks for infants, but they also lead to substantial financial burdens on employers. Understanding the drivers of premature births and their economic impact is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate these costs.

Drivers of Premature Births

1/ Maternal Health Conditions

  • Chronic Health Issues: Conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity have been strongly linked to premature births. A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2020 found that maternal obesity increases the risk of preterm birth by 30% compared to mothers with a healthy weight.
  • Infections: Infections during pregnancy, such as urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis, have been associated with increased risks of premature births. Research published in PLOS ONE in 2019 highlighted that maternal infections could lead to an up to 50% increase in preterm birth risk.

2/ Socioeconomic Factors

  • Access to Prenatal Care: Lack of access to adequate prenatal care is a significant driver of premature births. The National Center for Health Statistics reported in 2021 that women without adequate prenatal care were 3.5 times more likely to deliver prematurely.
  • Stress and Mental Health: High levels of stress and untreated mental health issues during pregnancy have also been linked to premature births. A 2022 study from the Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine indicated that pregnant women experiencing severe stress were twice as likely to have a preterm birth.

3/ Lifestyle Factors

  • Substance Use: Smoking, alcohol, and drug use during pregnancy significantly increase the risk of premature births. According to a 2021 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking during pregnancy is responsible for 20-30% of low birth weight and 14% of preterm deliveries.
  • Nutrition and Weight: Poor nutrition and inadequate weight gain during pregnancy are critical factors. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in 2023 showing that inadequate maternal nutrition is linked to a 25% increase in the risk of premature births.

Economic Impact on Employers

Healthcare costs

  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Admissions: Premature infants often require prolonged stays in NICUs. The average cost of a NICU stay is approximately $3,000 per day, with total costs ranging from $76,000 to $125,000 per infant. According to the March of Dimes, the median cost of a premature birth exceeds $260,000. Employers who provide health insurance bear a significant portion of these costs.
  • Long-Term Health Issues: Premature infants are at higher risk for chronic health problems, including respiratory issues, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. These conditions lead to increased healthcare utilization and associated costs throughout the child's life.

Lost productivity

  • Parental Leave: Parents of premature infants are more likely to take extended parental leave, impacting productivity. A 2020 study by the Society for Human Resource Management estimated that employers incur an average of $4,000 in lost productivity per employee due to extended parental leave for premature births.
  • Absenteeism and Presenteeism: Parents of preterm infants also experience higher rates of absenteeism and presenteeism (working while sick), further affecting workplace productivity. Research from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2021 found that parents of preterm infants had 41% more missed workdays compared to other employees.

Enhancing Access to Prenatal Care

1/Enhancing access to prenatal care

Employers can partner with the next-gen healthcare solution to close gaps in care access and extend access to comprehensive prenatal care, including routine screenings and early interventions for high-risk pregnancies. With Stork Club, you can do both:

  • Extend access to fertility and maternity medical experts via video visits, which is critical given the growing maternity care deserts in the US.
  • Additionally, with Stork Club, your employees can access local in-person birth doulas to support mothers in rural and urban areas during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Studies have shown that having an in-person birth doula can significantly improve maternity outcomes, reducing the likelihood of preterm births by 39% and complications by 31% .

2/Promoting healthy lifestyles

Implementing workplace wellness programs that focus on smoking cessation, healthy eating, and stress management can help reduce the risk of premature births among employees. Stork Club’s wellness programs provide tailored support and resources to encourage healthy behaviors throughout pregnancy with curated content and guidance by a dedicated clinical and via unlimited access to video visits with curated experts such as nutritionists, mental health coaches, obgyns, midwives, and many more.

3/ Integrating existing solutions with Stork Club

  • Chronic Conditions and Mental Health: Stork Club integrates with your existing solutions to address chronic conditions and mental health. By prequalifying each member for a tailored path, Stork Club helps address specific issues to change the trajectory they are moving towards.
  • IVF and Natural Conception: Stork Club's approach has been validated to successfully reduce the number of multiple births (vs. US average), which has a vast impact on reducing premature births via IVF. For both IVF- and natural pregnancies, having extended access to maternity care experts onsite and virtually through tailored interventions helps significantly mitigate the risk factors associated with premature births, providing comprehensive support for members throughout their pregnancy journey, birth, and postpartum.

4/ Supporting mental health

Providing mental health resources and support for pregnant employees can address stress and mental health issues that contribute to premature births. Stork Club integrates mental health support into its services, offering personalized care plans and access to mental health professionals to ensure the well-being of expectant mothers.

Conclusion

Premature births significantly increase healthcare costs and reduce productivity, impacting employers' bottom lines. By understanding the drivers of premature births and implementing targeted interventions, employers can help mitigate these costs while supporting their employees' and their families' health and well-being. Investing in preventive measures and supportive policies, particularly through comprehensive solutions like those offered by Stork Club, is not only a compassionate approach but is a business strategy.

References

  1. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2020
  2. PLOS ONE, 2019
  3. National Center for Health Statistics, 2021
  4. Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 2022
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2021
  6. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2023
  7. March of Dimes, 2022
  8. Society for Human Resource Management, 2020
  9. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2021
  10. Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2022
  11. Journal of Perinatal Education, 2019