Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Birth Injury Lawyers in Cleveland Serve a Region that Suffers from High Preterm Birth Rates

One of the earliest birth injuries mothers suffer often happens before they even reach the hospital, yet the effects can just as traumatic on the baby’s and mother’s health as any other injury. Poor prenatal care dramatically increases the risk for preterm birth, the single largest contributor to infant death. And as any birth injury lawyer in Cleveland is well aware, Ohio ranks among the worse in the nation when it comes to preterm birth, with three of its major cities earning an “F” grade from the March of Dimes annual report card of the nation’s cities.

“Cleveland hasn’t been doing as well as it should be, and our state hasn’t either,” Sara Donnersbach, board chair of the March of Dimes Northeast Ohio Division, told The Plain Dealer. “I think we’re at a crisis point. That’s what these grades reflect.”

Yet there is a bright side. Situations are improving. Overall, the state of Ohio’s preterm birth rate is 10.3 percent, down from 12 percent the previous year, earning the state a “C” on the March of Dimes report card. That’s still higher than the nation’s average of 9.6 percent, which the organization hopes will eventually dip to 8.1 percent through improvements in prenatal care.

And that would definitely be promising news to any client of a birth injury lawyer in Cleveland.