Florida Premature Birth Rates Up for Hispanic Mothers and Other Women
Florida is among several southeastern states with the nation's highest premature birth rates, according to the March of Dimes second annual premature births "report card." In fact when it comes to preventing premature births, Florida gets an "F". Hispanic women are among the categories of mothers experiencing increased rates of premature births in Florida.
The chairman of the March of Dimes Florida Chapter was quoted by a news source as saying, "... our prematurity problem is getting worse. We urgently need to take action prevent more deaths and disabilities." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing that U.S. premature birth rates rose by 20 percent between 1990 and 2006. (Source: National Center for Health Statistics, see link below.)
The problem cuts across ages and races. The CDC reports that while pre-term birth rates declined for black mothers in the 1990s, they rose again in the 2000s, and "...increases in late preterm births are seen for mothers of all ages, and for non-Hispanic white and Hispanic mothers."
Spanish-speaking Florida lawyers provide assistance to Latino and Hispanic women who have experienced birth injuries as a result of medical negligence or medical malpractice. Birthing injuries such as those resulting in a potentially debilitating condition called Erb's Palsy or Erbs paralysis can occur when doctors make errors during the baby's delivery or fail to communicate a mother's options for delivery.
Communication between doctor and mother is critical, especially for patients who have medical conditions (e.g., obesity and diabetes) that can complicate the birth process. Florida birth injury lawyers see the consequences of what can happen when mothers do not get the standard of medical care required to safely bring their babies into the world.
Why the U.S. Gets a D on Preterm Birth Rates
Time.com Nov. 17, 2009
Premature Birth Report Card; Florida Gets 'F'
FirstCoastNews.com Nov. 17, 2009
Born a bit too early: Recent trends in late preterm births.
NCHS data brief, no 24
Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. November 2009
