|
Infant Mortality
Florida has a multifaceted approach to addressing infant mortality which includes researching into the root causes of infant mortality, and supporting women to reduce health risks and behaviors that impact infant health before they become pregnant. This approach also includes ensuring early quality prenatal and infant health care, and promoting Safe Sleeping practices for all infants. Interventions are focused on at-risk populations and tailored to address the broad cultural, economic, and educational diversity found in Florida's population.
Why Is This Important?
Infant mortality reflects the baseline health of the population's reproductive age women as well as the quality of prenatal, birth and infant health care available to citizens.
Infant mortality information is used by local county or city governments to identify areas in need and designate available resources.
How Is Florida Doing?
Florida's Infant Mortality Rate has remained between 7.0 and 7.5 per 1000 live births for more than 10 years. This lack of change over the last decade is reflective of the recent national trends. The black infant mortality rate remains approximately 2.3 times the rate of the white infant mortality rate, but saw a slight decrease in both the number and rate of infant deaths.
The three leading causes of infant mortality in Florida are medical conditions related to pregnancy and birth, chromosomal and congenital birth defects, and prematurity and extreme low birth weight. Of concern, the percentages of low birth weight births (less than 2,500 grams) and preterm births (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) are continuing to increase. These smaller babies have a higher risk of death, illness, and prolonged hospitalization, chronic health conditions and long-term disability.
Scorecard
What Influences Infant Mortality?
The prepregnancy health status of women of reproductive health age greatly influences pregnancy outcomes and the health and developmental outcomes of the infant.
Obesity, substance use, smoking, and untreated chronic disease or infections can cause a baby to be born too early or with serious health or developmental conditions.
Poverty, domestic violence and educational delays may prevent a woman or infant from receiving timely prenatal and infant health care.
What Is the State's Role?
States can support systems that analyze root causes and identify system gaps that contribute to infant mortality and provide a safety net for gaps in direct services like primary, prenatal and infant health care through county health departments, Healthy Start coalitions and other community stakeholders.
The states may further investigate cost effective models that provide quality primary care, prenatal and infant health care and education especially for at-risk populations as well as promote and support prevention oriented activities that decrease a woman's health risks prior to becoming pregnant.
Encourage women to space births at least 18 months apart by assuring family planning services are available, encouraging breastfeeding and educating on the benefits of Safe Sleep practices are other proactive measures to be taken by state and local health officials.
For More Information
|
