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For the third straight year, the infant survival rate improved in Kansas for 2010, bringing the state closer to national rates. In 2007, Kansas ranked 40th among states in overall infant mortality and ranked worst in the nation for black infant mortality, according to the National Center for Vital Statistics.
Fewer infant deaths were reported in 2010 than in any year since vital records were first collected in 1911, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s 2010 Annual Summary of Vital Statistics. Two hundred fifty-three deaths, or 6.3 per 1,000 live births, is still too many, and a Kansas Blue Ribbon Panel on Infant Mortality, convened in 2009, continues to study the problem.
The leading causes of infant deaths in Kansas are birth defects (23 percent), preterm and low birth weights (17 percent), sudden infant death (15 percent) and maternal complications of pregnancy (11 percent).
Improving infant survival requires many partners, said Aiko Allen, director of KDHE’s Center for Health Equity, referring to the many agencies represented on the panel. Education and awareness are important components in reducing risk factors.
“We have to keep the messages floating out to the community,” she said.
The Blue Ribbon Panel has developed fact sheets, which are available at www.kansasinfantmortality.org.
A 10-minute video on the ABCs of safe sleep is available at sidsks.org — a “green” version of education that parents can view on their computers or smart phones, said Christy Schunn, director of SIDS Network of Kansas. They’re also using social networking, such as YouTube and Facebook to reach expectant and new parents with information.
The ABCs, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics are for babies to sleep alone, on their backs and in cribs.
The Pratt County Health Department is an active partner in the effort to insure successful pregnancy outcomes and healthy babies. A positive pregnancy test at the department sets programs in motion.
If eligible, the expectant mother is signed up for supplemental food under the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to make sure she is adequately nourished, Director Debbie McGraw said.
She gets a book, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” and a visit from a Healthy Start Home Visitor, who assesses the home environment. If there is no baby crib, the Health Department may be able to provide a portable bed for infants up to a certain age and weight. If the mother has no health insurance and she qualifies for the state’s Healthwave program for uninsured children, the home visitor can help get that process started.
Prenatal care beginning in the first trimester is encouraged, as is breastfeeding. Nurses are available to help a new mother establish nursing, McGraw said.
They also teach the importance of immunization, not only for the infant, but also for the adults who provide care. Babies are not vaccinated for pertussis (whooping cough) until they are two months old, McGraw said, so it’s important for caregivers to be up to date on their shots.
“It really does take a village,” McGraw said, quoting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
For the third straight year, the infant survival rate improved in Kansas for 2010, bringing the state closer to national rates. In 2007, Kansas ranked 40th among states in overall infant mortality and ranked worst in the nation for black infant mortality, according to the National Center for Vital Statistics.
Fewer infant deaths were reported in 2010 than in any year since vital records were first collected in 1911, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s 2010 Annual Summary of Vital Statistics. Two hundred fifty-three deaths, or 6.3 per 1,000 live births, is still too many, and a Kansas Blue Ribbon Panel on Infant Mortality, convened in 2009, continues to study the problem.
The leading causes of infant deaths in Kansas are birth defects (23 percent), preterm and low birth weights (17 percent), sudden infant death (15 percent) and maternal complications of pregnancy (11 percent).
Improving infant survival requires many partners, said Aiko Allen, director of KDHE’s Center for Health Equity, referring to the many agencies represented on the panel. Education and awareness are important components in reducing risk factors.
“We have to keep the messages floating out to the community,” she said.
The Blue Ribbon Panel has developed fact sheets, which are available at www.kansasinfantmortality.org.
A 10-minute video on the ABCs of safe sleep is available at sidsks.org — a “green” version of education that parents can view on their computers or smart phones, said Christy Schunn, director of SIDS Network of Kansas. They’re also using social networking, such as YouTube and Facebook to reach expectant and new parents with information.
The ABCs, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics are for babies to sleep alone, on their backs and in cribs.
The Pratt County Health Department is an active partner in the effort to insure successful pregnancy outcomes and healthy babies. A positive pregnancy test at the department sets programs in motion.
If eligible, the expectant mother is signed up for supplemental food under the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program to make sure she is adequately nourished, Director Debbie McGraw said.
She gets a book, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” and a visit from a Healthy Start Home Visitor, who assesses the home environment. If there is no baby crib, the Health Department may be able to provide a portable bed for infants up to a certain age and weight. If the mother has no health insurance and she qualifies for the state’s Healthwave program for uninsured children, the home visitor can help get that process started.
Prenatal care beginning in the first trimester is encouraged, as is breastfeeding. Nurses are available to help a new mother establish nursing, McGraw said.
They also teach the importance of immunization, not only for the infant, but also for the adults who provide care. Babies are not vaccinated for pertussis (whooping cough) until they are two months old, McGraw said, so it’s important for caregivers to be up to date on their shots.
“It really does take a village,” McGraw said, quoting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
