What You Need to Know About Ohio’s Infant Mortality Crisis

Ohio is one of the worst states in the country for infant and maternal mortality. That’s not an opinion; it’s a conclusion supported by years of data, and the numbers aren’t improving fast enough. For families expecting a child, that reality can feel abstract until it isn’t. Understanding the scope of the problem—and what drives it—is the first step toward demanding better.

The Numbers Are Hard to Ignore

Ohio’s infant mortality rate sits at approximately 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births—well above the national average of around 5.2. The state ranks 43rd out of 52 reporting jurisdictions, putting it among the bottom ten in the country. Maternal mortality tells a similarly grim story, with Ohio recording 24.5 deaths per 100,000 births.

The disparities within those numbers are even more troubling. Black infants in Ohio die at more than twice the rate of white infants—a gap that has persisted for decades and reflects deep inequities in access to quality prenatal and obstetric care.

What’s Behind the Crisis?

No single factor explains Ohio’s infant mortality problem. The causes are layered and interconnected:

• Preterm birth. Ohio ranks 37th in the country, with 11% of babies born preterm, increasing the risk of complications and death.
• Limited access to care. Rural Ohioans face significant gaps in maternity services, with many counties lacking a single OB/GYN.
• Inadequate prenatal screening. Dangerous conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes can go undetected without consistent, quality prenatal care.
• Systemic inequities. Race, income, and geography all shape whether a mother receives the level of care her pregnancy requires.

When the System Fails and the Law Steps In

Not every infant death is preventable. But some are—and some are the direct result of medical negligence. Failure to monitor fetal distress, delayed C-sections, missed diagnoses during prenatal care, and inadequate responses to complications during delivery are all scenarios where a healthcare provider’s failure to meet the standard of care can cost a baby its life.

Ohio’s infant mortality crisis is in part a public health problem. But for individual families, it can also be a legal one. If your baby’s death was caused by a doctor’s, nurse’s, or hospital’s failure to provide adequate care, you have the right to hold them accountable.

The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help your family get the answers you deserve. When medical negligence takes a life that didn’t have to be lost, I’ll Make Them Pay!^® Call my office at (877) 614-9524 so I can evaluate your case right away.