Indiana is seeing long-term improvement in preventing premature births, although its rate increased slightly from 2012 to 2013, according to an annual report from the nonprofit organization March of Dimes.
The state's pre-term birth rate was 11 percent in 2013, up from 10.9 percent in 2012 but down from 13.2 percent in 2006.
The national rate also fell to 11.4 percent in 2013 — the lowest rate in 17 years.
March of Dimes' goal is to reduce the premature birth rate nationwide to 9.6 percent or less by 2020.
The organization's prevention strategies include reducing the number of women who smoke are uninsured or elect to have medically unnecessary early deliveries before 39 weeks.
While the number of uninsured women is decreasing, the number of women who smoke has risen slightly, from 25.2 percent to 25.4 percent, according to the March of Dimes.
Network Indiana contributed to this report.