In Hawaii, 1 in 10 babies is born premature and more likely to die or suffer a lifetime of health problems, with Native Hawaiian and Filipino mothers especially hard-hit.

Stacey D. Stewart, president and CEO of the national March of Dimes organization, said women of color across the nation are at greater risk of preterm births, and her nonprofit is leading the national fight to reduce these births. One of its main efforts is to decrease the inequities in the access to health care for mothers and babies, she said.

“The chance of a baby’s survival should not depend on where a baby is born or the income, race and ethnicity of her mom,” Stewart said in an interview.

Stewart was in Honolulu over the weekend to receive an award honoring “Emerging Trailblazers” from the National Medical Association (which represents African American physicians and patients) during its 117th annual convention, which started Saturday and ends today at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

Stewart said Hawaiians and Filipinos, like women of color in other areas, are at greater risk for premature birth (occurring before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and have higher rates of death during childbirth. These two ethnic groups account for 50% of preterm births in Hawaii, she added. (MOD statistics say Native Hawaiian mothers have nearly 30% of Hawaii’s preterm birth and that Filipino moms have 20%.)

Premature babies also suffer from devastating complications — including cerebral palsy, physical and intellectual disabilities, and chronic lung disease — which are the largest contributors to infant death in the U.S., according to MOD. Hawaii’s preterm rate is about 10%, equivalent to the national average, affecting 1 out of 10 babies, earning the islands a D (poor) in MOD’s 2018 Premature Birth Report Card.

March of Dimes, originally formed to combat polio 81 years ago, later turned its focus on fighting birth defects once polio was defeated. In the past 10 to 15 years, the organization has concentrated on decreasing premature births by improving health care for mothers and babies. “It’s related: A mom’s health care can influence the health of a baby,” Stewart said.

It has invested in significant research to understand the causes of premature births, advocated for policy changes in health care and set up supportive prenatal care groups for mothers, she said.

In addition, MOD is raising funds to bring Supportive Pregnancy Care groups to Hawaii as a preventive measure to reduce the risk for preterm births.

Stewart said, “We know there’s an association between stress and anxiety during pregnancy, and poor birth outcomes.” The nonprofit is working in partnership with Kapiolani Medical Center for Women &Children, where vulnerable women can meet regularly to talk about the problems they’re experience during pregnancy. It plans to set up additional groups with other organizations in the future.

More information on achieving healthier pregnancies is available at marchofdimes.org.