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Preterm birth lifetime costs in the United States in 2016: An update

Norman J Waitzman1, Ali Jalali2, Scott D Grosse3

  • 1Department of Economics, University of Utah, 260 Central Campus Dr., Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Seminars in Perinatology
|February 5, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The societal cost of preterm birth in the US was $25.2 billion in 2016. Interventions to reduce preterm birth can yield significant economic benefits, highlighting the importance of updated cost estimates.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Health Economics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Societal costs of preterm birth necessitate updated economic impact assessments.
  • Preterm birth rates and associated healthcare expenses evolve, requiring periodic cost reevaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To update the incremental cost estimates for preterm birth in the United States.
  • To determine the economic burden of prematurity for the 2016 US birth cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a cost-of-illness approach to estimate excess costs.
  • Calculated the discounted present value of costs for the 2016 US birth cohort.
  • Updated previous cost estimates from 2004.

Main Results:

  • The estimated excess cost of prematurity for the 2016 US birth cohort was $25.2 billion.
  • Costs included $17.1 billion for medical care, $2.0 billion for delivery, $1.3 billion for early intervention/special education, and $4.8 billion in lost productivity.
  • Nominal and inflation-adjusted costs per preterm birth increased by 26% and 4% respectively from 2004-2016.

Conclusions:

  • Despite increased per-birth costs, the aggregate societal cost of preterm birth decreased by 4% due to lower birth rates.
  • Updated economic data supports the potential for significant financial returns on investments in preterm birth prevention strategies.

Keywords:
Developmental disabilityEconomic costsInfant mortalityPreterm birth

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