Infant deaths, stubbornly high in the US, continue a promising decline
Source: STAT
By IKE SWETLITZ @ikeswetlitz
MARCH 21, 2017
In the US, a rising number of babies are living to see their first birthday, according to a study released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The data show that infant mortality has declined by 15 percent over the last decade, with the biggest gains concentrated in the south and east of the country. That’s good news given that the US has persistently had a higher rate of infant deaths than other wealthy nations.
The new report doesn’t compare the US to other countries, but it does highlight states that have been particularly successful. Colorado, Connecticut, South Carolina, and Vermont all saw drops of more than 20 percent in infant death rates from 2005-2007 to 2012-2014. Washington, D.C., saw a drop of almost 50 percent, although it’s much smaller in population. Doctors across the United States credit a variety of initiatives for helping children survive.
In Vermont, for instance, clinicians at the state health department have tried to stem the number of women scheduling deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy, which can be risky for a baby’s health. Dr. Breena Holmes, director of maternal and child health at the state’s Department of Health, said Vermont’s small size made a one-on-one approach possible: Staff from her department regularly met with community hospital staff and explained why it was a bad idea for a woman to give birth before the baby came to term.
Read more: https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/21/infant-deaths-decline/