FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Illinois Right to Life
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312-422-9300
IRL RESPONDS TO MARCH OF DIMES D+ RATING FOR PRETERM BIRTHS IN CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS
NOVEMBER 4, 2019 – (Chicago) On Monday, Illinois Right to Life Executive Director Mary Kate Knorr responded to a new March of Dimes report that gave Chicago and Illinois D+ ratings for notably high preterm birth rates, relative to the rest of the country. The report noted that the preterm birth rate amongst African American women in Illinois was 52 percent higher than all other Illinois women.
“It is no surprise that Illinois and Chicago have a preterm birth problem – because Illinois and Chicago have an obvious abortion problem,” said Knorr. “Abortion procedures do irreversible damage to a woman’s uterine wall and cervix, drastically increasing the likelihood she’ll experience future miscarriages or preterm delivery. Who can be surprised that women struggle to sustain their pregnancies, when Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in our state are willfully ending pregnancies by the tens of thousands every year? In fact, I’d like to hear from Planned Parenthood. Are they not a women’s healthcare provider? What do they intend to do to address preterm births, which is clearly a major women’s health issue in communities across our state?”
A study performed in 2015 found that women who have received two or more abortions are 33 percent more likely to experience preterm delivery in a future pregnancy. Another study, performed in 2012, found that women who had received three or more induced abortions were 178 percent more likely to experience birth before 28 weeks gestation.
A summary of published research on abortion and preterm birth is available at www.preventpreterm.com/studies.
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Illinois Right to Life is the leading pro-life education organization in the state of Illinois. IRL educates Illinois residents on the value and sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.