Ohio’s infant mortality rate of 7.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births continues to be one of the highest in the nation. The infant mortality rate is an international indicator of population health; high rates denote systemic failures impacting health access in communities. Progress has been made in reducing the rate of white infant mortality, yet non-Hispanic black infants in Ohio remain more than twice as likely as white infants to die before their first birthday.
Progress has been made in reducing the rate of white infant mortality, yet non-Hispanic black infants in Ohio remain more than twice as likely as white infants to die before their first birthday.
Related, the severe maternal morbidity (SMM) rate per 10,000 deliveries in Ohio in 2013 was 143. There is also a racial disparity for SMM, with rates for black and Hispanic women 50 percent higher than the overall rate, and approximately 70 percent higher than for non-Hispanic white women.
Advancing the issues of maternal and infant health – from preconception health, to birth and beyond – is imperative for healthy families in Ohio. The Center for Community Solutions has a long history as convener and advocate for maternal and infant health. The organization administered the federal Title X Family Planning program in Northeast Ohio for more than three decades; co-convened the Better Birth Control NEO project and LARC Access Ohio; houses the Collaborative for Comprehensive School Aged Health and Ohio Youth Leadership Council; and has been engaged as a partner in the efforts to report on and reduce infant mortality both in Cuyahoga County and statewide. Beginning next year, Community Solutions will support research and advocacy to better understand maternal mortality and morbidity in the state.
Beginning next year, Community Solutions will support research and advocacy to better understand maternal mortality and morbidity in the state.
The causes of these health outcomes are multifactorial and change will not happen overnight. We know from the health equity framework—viewing health within the larger context of society and history—that women and families who have not been served successfully by the current system of supports will require more and/or different resources to account for these tremendous differences. Ohio is investing in evidence based models aimed to achieve this – including group prenatal care, community health workers and doulas.
Ohio is investing in evidence based models aimed to achieve this – including group prenatal care, community health workers and doulas.
It is our priority for long-term leadership and investment in maternal and infant health that led us to ask these questions of the gubernatorial candidates:
- Do you support continued funding for infant mortality reduction initiatives in Ohio?
- Do you support strengthening systems that report maternal morbidity and mortality in Ohio to promote accurate reporting of maternal morbidity (near misses) and mortality in Ohio?
- Do you support efforts targeting the significant health disparities we are witnessing in maternal and infant health outcomes in Ohio?