Risk Factors for Premature Birth
The end goal of every pregnancy is to be holding your beautiful little baby in your arms, staring into their face, as you reflect on how it’s amazing how you can love so much somebody you just met. However, while most pregnancies do have a happy ending, a heartbreakingly high number of them also end in tragedy, health complications, and loss.
Low birth weight is sadly quite common, affecting over 8 percent of live births. That amounts to over 321,000 babies born each year that weighed less than 5.5 pounds at delivery. Why are these numbers so high, and what can be done to prevent this from happening to you and your little one?
One of the leading causes of low birth weights, unsurprisingly, is preterm labor. A full gestation period is 40 weeks, but most mothers (and medical professionals!) are happy with any healthy delivery that occurs after 37 weeks. Some common risk factors for preterm labor include:
- The age of the mother
- The lifestyle of the mother
- Certain infections that can affect the mother
- Short wait between having children (less than 6 months)
- Mother’s weight
- Certain medical conditions
- Carrying multiples
Expecting mothers are some of the most careful people you could ever meet. If there is anything that can be done to ensure a healthy little baby girl or boy at the end of their pregnancy, they will do it. The fact is, oftentimes premature birthweight and preterm labor is not the fault of the mother, but instead due to the carelessness and neglect of her doctor.
Premature birth can have lifelong, devastating effects on not just your baby, but on yourself. Research has demonstrated that having a child with a developmental disability is 10 times more expensive to raise than a child with no such disorder. That does not even account for your pain and suffering and stress from raising your sweet little one. Medical complications such as cognitive impairment, cerebral palsy, and heart and brain problems are not uncommon in babies who were born premature.
It is your doctor’s responsibility to uphold the standards of care to ensure your baby is born at the correct stage of your gestation. They need to monitor you and your baby’s health throughout your pregnancy to prevent premature birth. Ways they can help prevent preterm labor include:
- Making sure you are healthy throughout your pregnancy
- Know your risk of premature birth and take steps to prevent it
- Make sure you get bedrest to prevent premature birth
- Prescribe any necessary medications to prevent it
- Prescribe any necessary medications to prevent low birth weight
If your child was born prematurely, you need to call me right now at 1 (800) 556-4769 for your free initial consultation. With all of your heartache and mounting medical bills, you deserve the financial compensation that I can help you attain. And don’t waste a second of your time worrying about me or how you’re going to pay me; I work on a contingency basis, which means that if you don’t get paid, then neither do I.
I can only imagine how stressful and trying this time is for you, which is why I will come to you to discuss your case. Don’t worry about trying to come to my office — I’ll meet you at the hospital or in your home, it’s up to you. Also, if you need to reach out to me at any time, don’t hesitate to call me 24/7. As your lawyer, you will have access to my personal cell phone number and I will answer when you call, no matter what hour it is.
I’ve served the greater Cleveland, Ohio area for nearly 40 years as the top malpractice lawyer. Big hospitals and doctors don’t scare me. I take on Big Cases with Big results. If you suspect that your baby’s premature birth was due to medical malpractice, believe me – I’ll Make Them Pay!®.
DISCLAIMER “Please understand the slogan, I’ll Make Them Pay!® is not a guarantee of payment. Both liability and real damages must be proven with a preponderance of the evidence.”
