Ohio earned a failing grade this year in infant and maternal health as disparities persist, preterm birth rates remain high and infant deaths are higher than the national average in 2024.
The Buckeye state earned a D+ from the March of Dimes, a national nonprofit organization researching and advocating for infant and maternal health. The report emphasizes Ohio’s weakest areas of care for mothers and babies and how they impact healthy births, such as proper access to prenatal care, chronic health conditions of the mother and environmental exposures.
“In order to save lives and support healthy pregnancies and births, it’s critical that we work to improve outcomes and eliminate health disparities across our country,” said Dr. Amanda P. Williams, interim chief medical officer at March of Dimes, in a news release. “Our work must focus on equitable, science-backed solutions that address these challenges from all sides.”
Risks, by the numbers
Ohio’s preterm birth rate currently sits at 10.7% on average, though that number is higher for Black mothers and babies. Columbus and Franklin County have the same preterm rates, with the highest preterm rate found in Black babies at 13.4%…