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Looking at the effects, risk factors of preterm birth, P.2

On Behalf of | Dec 4, 2015 | Medical Malpractice

In our last post, we began speaking about the short-term complications and long-term risks associated with preterm birth, as well as some of the associated risk factors. It is interesting to note that the state of Michigan earned a grade of “C” on the recently released 2015 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card.

According to the report, a total of four states earned As, 19 states earned Bs, 18 states and the District of Columbia earned Cs, six states earned Ds, and three states earned Fs. With an overall preterm birth rate of 9.8 percent in 2014, Michigan comes in slightly above the national average. 

One of the interesting aspects of the study was that it looked at the disparities between communities and among racial and ethnic groups in terms of the occurrence of premature birth. As a whole, the state of Michigan ranked 12th on a disparity index with a score of 18, indicating that there are significant disparities between racial and ethnic groups as far as premature birth is concerned.

It is difficult, as we mentioned last time, to always determine the exact causes of preterm birth, but it is important to realize that physicians do have a duty to work to prevent its occurrence. Inadequate monitoring and preventative care which contributes to the occurrence of preterm birth can lead to serious medical costs and suffering for a couple and the affected child. When this occurs, it is important for a couple to understand their legal options and to work with an experienced attorney in pursuing appropriate compensation.

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