Coalition aims to reduce infant mortality

CINCINNATI (AP) -- A coalition of medical and community groups wants to decrease Hamilton County's high infant mortality rate.
The county has an infant mortality rate of 10.5 for every 1,000 live births, significantly higher than the state average of 7.6 in 2001, according to the most current data available. The infant mortality rate is based on the number of babies who die before their first birthday.
"In a community of our wealth and vast array of medical resources, that is a scandal," said Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, who leads the new group.
The coalition -- which includes the March of Dimes and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center -- seeks to bring the county's infant mortality rate equal to or below the national average of 7.0 in five years.
Infant mortality is a complex problem. Leading causes include birth defects and premature delivery. Risk factors include poverty, lack of prenatal care, maternal smoking and poor nutrition.
Hamilton County's problem appears even worse when it is broken out by the region's black and Appalachian populations. The infant mortality rate is 30 percent higher than the national average in those groups.
Portune said the coalition wants to build more coordination among groups already working on reducing infant mortality.
For example, Children's Hospital has a program called Every Child Succeeds, which sends nurses and social workers to the homes of first-time mothers -- many who are teenagers -- and offers assistance that includes parenting training, child health assessments and home safety checks.
The program has reached 6,500 women in the past five years, said Judith Van Ginkel, president of Every Child Succeeds.