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NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The March of Dimes says both Louisiana and New Orleans are failing when it comes to premature birth. Alabama, Mississippi and Puerto Rico also receive an “F” grade. The pre-term birth rate for the entire nation is 9.6 percent, which translates as a “C” on the March of Dimes report card. It’s the number one killer of babies.

The rate for Louisiana is 12.3 percent. That’s the bad news. The good news? Doctors say steps are being taken in the right direction.

Dr. Brian Barkemeyer, Medical Director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, is optimistic the failing grades will improve.

“A major change we’ve had in Louisiana is the elimination of elective births before 39 weeks gestation, and that’s resulted in significant improvement in some of our neonatal outcomes,” says Dr. Barkemeyer.

Dr. Geoffrey Fraiche, a March of Dimes board member, says progesterone injections—now available to every patient in Louisiana—are another plus.Premature birth has been linked to fertility treatments and lack of proper health care, but sometimes it happens for no reason at all.

“The exact cause of preterm birth is still a mystery,” says Dr. Fraiche.

Kerry Bayhi’s triplets were born 10 weeks early. We caught up with him visiting his son.

“My first girl was 2 pounds, 10 ounces. My boy came second. He was 2 pounds, 12 ounces; and my third, a little girl, was 1 pound 12 ounces,” he says, adding that the littlest girl is now the biggest of the three, at more than seven pounds. Two of the preemies are still undergoing treatment. Kerry and his girlfriend are hoping all three of their children will be healthy enough to come home in time to celebrate the holidays.

Stays in the NICU for preterm babies can last days, months, and in some cases, more than a year.

Doctors say getting better grades is a shared responsibility.

“Providing better care to moms is important—but the moms have to make themselves available to that care. So education of moms, reducing the rate of unplanned pregnancies and moms being healthier before they are pregnant—and moms doing healthy things when they are pregnant, all would be helpful,” says Dr. Barkemeyer, who also heads the Division of Neonatology at the LSU School of Medicine.

The goal: higher marks, healthier babies and quicker trips home from the hospital.