CAPE CORAL, Fla.- An increasing number of babies are being born early in Lee County. Premature births can cause frightening and serious medical conditions for infants. “Being on a ventilator long-term, to have neurological and developmental problems,” said Nancy Travis, a nurse with the Lee Memorial Health System. Local medical professionals were taken aback when the March of Dimes recently gave the City of Cape Coral a failing grade for a high premature birth rate. “It’s very concerning to see that we haven’t made much progress,” said Travis. She says a number of factors that could be behind the poor grade, “obesity is a big issue for pregnant women.” Travis adds that smoking and illegal drugs could also be to blame. “It doesn’t sound great, however the top side to it is that it’s only up from there,” said Louis Bruno, chairman of the Collier County March for Babies. According to the organization, Lee County is considered a “hot spot” for the issue, but there has been progress. The March of Dimes has teamed up with Cape Coral Hospital to try and bring those numbers down. “We try to eliminate all early elective deliveries before 39 completed weeks of pregnancy,” said Travis. The organization also reaches out into the community to raise awareness. “We’ve got Bikers for Babies, we’ve got the march in Collier and Lee,” said Bruno. The March of Dimes also says a lack of health insurance is also behind the failing grade.