Infant Death Rises In The South
The New York Times reports that after many years of progress, the infant mortality rates in Mississippi and other southern states have started to increase.
Mississippi’s infant mortality rate is particularly concerning. Between 2004 and 2005 it jumped from an average of 9.7 deaths of babies per 1,000 to 11.4. And while the infant death rate increased for both whites and blacks, it was dramatically higher among blacks, the newspaper said.
What is partly responsible is the fact that African Americans are more likely to have diabetes then any other race, although Hispanics are reaching record numbers. Also the fact that hypertension, obesity and little to no prenatal care is an epidemic throughout poverty stricken areas, the south included.
The other states that had rises in 2005 (the last known mortality statistics) included South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee.
Researchers say that diet and poverty go hand-in-hand in causing the infant mortality increase. We know that childhood obesity is on the rise in our country, along with the rise of obesity in adults.
Other factors in the death toll include premature births, low birth weights, SIDS, birth defects, congenital defects, accidents and disease.
What can we do to change this? There is only one thing to do, educate the people in these povertiy stricken communities where there are no outreach programs. Bus social workers and nurses into these areas to help the women who do not have transportation or cannot afford to travel to the nearest clinic weekly.
If the answer is so simple, why isn’t it being done?
Money.
These programs need money, volunteers and resources and the sad fact is, that the poor women and children of this country come last.
poverty, infant death climbs in the south, obesity, poverty, children, babies, infants, parenting, children
Leave a Reply