News 5 took a look at Cleveland's rate of premature births when we found out it is the highest in the country. At 14.9 percent, being born too early is the number one cause of death in babies.
Now, we are looking into the efforts being made to turn things around to save those lives.
RELATED: Cleveland ranks worst in the nation for premature birth rates
“The idea that babies are dying, in large numbers, before their first birthday and in particular, in large percentages in Cleveland as compared to other parts of the country, it's incredibly distressing,” said Patti DePompei, President of University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MacDonald’s Women’s Hospital.
The NICU at Rainbow - just like others across the city - is at capacity right now.
“We know that if we're going to be effective in reducing the number of premature births, not only do we need to understand the science behind premature delivery, but we also need to ensure that every woman who is pregnant receives the proper supports throughout her pregnancy,” DePompei said.
That is one of the reasons she is such an advocate for a local organization - Birthing Beautiful Communities - that is doing just that.
“What Birthing Beautiful Communities does in ensure that every woman has a partner to partner with her through the process and that includes things like attending pre-natal classes with her, supporting her through the labor and delivery process, as well as ensuring that women in our community have transportation to those pre-natal classes,” explained DePompei.
The group is specifically geared toward black women, who are statistically at a much higher risk for premature delivery.
“We've got to ensure that every baby has a chance to lead a full, happy and productive life and we're very proud to be a part of the many initiatives underway,” said DePompei.
