NATAL NUMBERS States ranked by rate of pre-term births, low birthweight and infant mortality (1=lowest) INFANT % PRE- % LOW- DEATHS, TERM BIRTH- 1,000 BIRTHS, WEIGHT, BIRTHS STATE 2002 RANK 2002 RANK 2001 RANK Alabama 15.8% 49 9.9% 46 9.4 47 Alaska 9.8 5 5.8 1 8.1 39 Arizona 12.6 30 6.8 14 6.9 25 Arkansas 12.7 35 8.6 38 8.3 41 California 10.2 9 6.4 9 5.4 5 Colorado 12.0 26 8.9 40 5.8 10 Connecticut 10.1 7 7.8 23 6.1 16 Delaware 13.6 43 9.9 46 10.7 50 Florida 13.0 37 8.4 36 7.3 29 Georgia 12.6 30 8.9 40 8.6 43 Hawaii 13.7 45 8.3 34 6.2 18 Idaho 10.4 10 6.1 4 6.2 18 Illinois 12.6 30 8.2 32 7.7 36 Indiana 12.5 29 7.6 21 7.5 34 Iowa 11.6 21 6.6 12* 5.6 8 Kansas 11.0 14 7.0 16 7.4 31 Kentucky 13.6 43 8.6 38 5.9 13 Louisiana 15.1 48 10.4 49 9.8 48 Maine 10.1 7 6.3 5 6.1 16 Maryland 12.9 36 9.0 42 8.1 39 Massachusetts 10.6 12 7.5 19 5.0 3 Michigan 11.9 25 8.0 27 8.0 38 Minnesota 9.8 5 6.3 5 5.3 4 Mississippi 17.2 50 11.2 50 10.5 49 Missouri 13.0 37 8.0 27 7.4 31 Montana 11.3 15 6.8 14 6.7 22 Nebraska 11.8 23 7.2 17 6.8 23 Nevada 13.0 37 7.5 19 5.7 9 New Hampshire 9.5 2 6.3 5 3.8 1 New Jersey 12.0 26 8.0 27 6.5 21 New Mexico 12.6 30 8.0 27 6.4 20 New York 11.4 19 7.9 24 5.8 10 North Carolina 13.3 40 9.0 42 8.5 42 North Dakota 11.3 15 6.3 5 8.8 45 Ohio 12.2 28 8.3 34 7.7 36 Oklahoma 12.6 30 8.0 27 7.3 29 Oregon 9.7 4 5.8 1 5.4 5 Pennsylvania 11.4 19 8.2 32 7.2 27 Rhode Island 11.3 15 7.9 24 6.8 23 South Carolina 14.2 47 10.0 48 8.9 46 South Dakota 11.3 15 7.2 17 7.4 31 Tennessee 13.8 46 9.2 45 8.7 44 Texas 13.3 40 7.7 22 5.9 13 Utah 10.5 11 6.4 9 4.8 2 Vermont 9.0 1 6.4 9 5.5 7 Virginia 11.8 23 7.9 24 7.6 35 Washington 9.6 3 5.9 3 5.8 10 West Virginia 13.4 42 9.0 42 7.2 27 Wisconsin 10.9 13 6.6 12* 7.1 26 Wyoming 11.7 22 8.4 36 5.9 13 Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention