Compared with 18 European countries,the United States had the highest percentage of preterm births (12.4%) in 2004. apart from for Austria (11.4%), the other countries had levels of 8.9% or less. Ireland had the lowest percentage (5.5%), or followed by Finland (5.6%) and Greece (6.0%),each less than half the U.
S. percentage. Because preterm infants are at greater risk for death than term infants, countries with a higher percentage of preterm births tend to have higher infant mortality rates.
Source: cdc.gov