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This is the Riskiest Florida City to Have a Baby

Babies in a hospital bed.

Babies in a hospital bed, laying down.

Having a baby in Florida is apparently risky. That's according to the latest March of Dimes report card, which gives the state a grade of D+ for infant mortality. Yikes. I'm shocked. What's more, I'm surprised by the failing grades for states across the U.S. There are certain Florida cities that are actually the riskiest to have a baby, too.

The March of Dimes Report Card highlights key indicators that describe the state of maternal and infant health in America. "We continue to provide updated rates and grades for preterm birth and data on infant mortality and maternal health," they state in the report. "New this year is the inclusion of maternal mortality, leading causes of infant death, and data describing selected risk factors for preterm birth."

So, let's get into the numbers. According to the report, the preterm birth rate in Florida was 10.6%  in 2022, lower than the rate in 2021. That's good news. But, that's where the positive news ends. Looking at their graph, preterm birth rates have been increasing for the majority of the past decade. That's not a trend we want to see. But, it's promising that the rate did decline between 2021 and 2022. However, in more bad news, the report states that, "Birthing people in Florida have a very high vulnerability to poor outcomes and are most vulnerable due to general healthcare accessibility."

Now, let's get into the riskiest cities in Florida to have a baby. Jacksonville is the riskiest, with a preterm birth rate of 11.9% and grade of F. Yes, as in flunking. As for counties, unsafe are Duval with an F, Volusia with a D-, Lake with a D, Broward with a D, Lee with a D, Pasco with a D, Polk with a D+, Palm Beach with a D+ and Orange with a D+. Find the full list for Florida here.

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.