Infant Mortality in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s infant mortality rate is among the highest in the nation at 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. (1) Infant mortality is measured in deaths during the first year of life per 1,000 live births. This statistic serves as an indicator of maternal and infant health. Wisconsin’s infant mortality rate is not only very high, but it has also declined at a slower pace than other states’ figures over recent years.(2) Rates of infant death are particularly alarming in Milwaukee, where 11.6 deaths per 1,000 live births occurred yearly between 2003 and 2005. (3)These numbers rank Milwaukee behind most large U.S. cities, as well as developing countries such as Cuba and Bosnia. (4)
Significant Racial Disparities A disturbing aspect of this trend is the persistent disparity between mortality rates for white infants and African American infants. While the rate among Milwaukee whites was as low as 5.3 per 1,000 in 2004, the same year saw a rate of 19.4 among African Americans. (5)Throughout Wisconsin, the African American infant mortality rate has consistently been 3.5 times the rate for white infants. (6)
Reducing Infant Mortality and the Racial Disparity The leading causes of infant death include premature birth and low birthweight, congenital abnormalities, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or sleeping accidents. Among African American infants in Wisconsin, low birthweight and prematurity is the primary cause of infant deaths. Both of these causes are largely preventable. Increasing access to quality prenatal care is crucial in lowering the infant mortality rate, as are programs to discourage substance abuse by the mother before and after giving birth. Education regarding safe infant sleep practices and assistance with carrying out these recommendations are also necessary. In addition, action must be taken to address the consistent racial disparities that arise in infant mortality rates, including investigating how racism impacts healthcare policy and practice and targeting programs to high-risk individuals. Current organizations working on these issues include Milwaukee’s Public Health Team Nursing, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Empowering Families of Milwaukee, which provide home visits for pregnant women and infants. The federal Women, Infants, and Children Program offers grants to states for supplemental nutritional assistance. The Center for Urban Population Health Infant Mortality Action Group focuses on new research and strategies for reducing infant mortality rates. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ has tackled the problem by presenting a state health plan called Healthiest Wisconsin 2010.
1 - Wisconsin Division of Public Health Department of Health and Family Services, Health Counts in Wisconsin: New Findings from the Bureau of Health Information and Policy—Infant Health (2006) at http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/births/pdf/hc06infant.pdf (last visited July 2, 2008). |
