Our New York birth injury attorneys noted a recent article in The New York Times, which reports a growing number of hospitals are seeking to restrict parents from filming births for fear the cell-phone cams will capture evidence of medical malpractice.

Hospitals are claiming such bans are necessary to protect the safety of the baby and mother and to protect the privacy of the medical staff. As we have reported last summer on our New York Injury Lawyer Blog, mothers and infants face high risk of birth injuries in New York, as the state reports one of the highest mortality rates in the nation.

Nationwide, about 110 of every 1 million birth mothers die from complications stemming from child birth. For every death, 50 women will suffer severe medical complications.

And the risks faced by the child are no less severe. Each year, 1 in 8 infants is born premature, which can lead to all sorts of health complications, including Cerebral Palsy, cognitive impairment, digestive and respiratory problems, and issues involving hearing and vision.

In 2009, we reported the increasing concern involving premature birth in New York and elsewhere in the United States. While 13 million premature infants are born each year in Africa and Asia, a study by the March of Dimes found that North America follows closely behind even these poorest nations.

That report found 28 percent of neonatal deaths are due to premature births. Meanwhile, the premature birthrate in the United States has increased by 36 percent over the last 25 years.