Effects of the North Carolina Prematurity Prevention Program among public patients delivering at New Hanover Memorial Hospital.

Twelve per cent of the 847 women who delivered in one hospital prior to implementation of the North Carolina Prematurity Prevention Program had low-birthweight births compared with 9.5 per cent of the 748 women who delivered during the program. Controlling for known risk factors, both low- and very-low birthweight births among Whites (Odds Ratio 2.0 and 3.7 respectively) and very-low-birthweight births among Blacks (OR 2.9) were reduced.