Infant Mortality

Infant Mortality is the number of infants who die during their first year of life. Infant Mortality is measured by the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

What factors impact infant mortality?

Infant mortality is a complex and multi-faceted problem with no single solution. The following social, economic and racial/ethnic issues in Milwaukee are significant and must be taken into account as we seek to understand and develop recommendations to reverse the current trend:

Infant mortality is a complex and multi-faceted problem with no single solution. The following social, economic and racial/ethnic issues in Milwaukee are significant and must be taken into account as we seek to understand and develop recommendations to reverse the current trend:

41% of Milwaukee's children under the age of 18 live in poverty

52% of Milwaukee's children live in single parent households

50% of Milwaukee's children live in families where no parent has a full-time, year-round job

How do infant mortality rates in Milwaukee compare?

In 2004, the non-Hispanic Black infant mortality rate (IMR) was 19.4 (more than 19 infant deaths per 1,000 live births). This was over three times the non-Hispanic White infant mortality rate of 5.3/1,000 and the Hispanic infant mortality rate of 4.9/1,000.

Milwaukee's infant mortality rate ranked 40^th among the 50 largest cities in the U.S. Milwaukee's IMR is worse than the national average IMR for countries such as Cuba, Bosnia, Ukraine and Costa Rica, and the IMR in certain Milwaukee zip codes is equal to or worse than that of many developing counties.

What are the leading causes of infant mortality? 

• 52% of all infants die because they are born prematurely. Infant born prematurely have a greater risk of medical complications, long-term disabilities and death
• 22% of infant mortality cases are related to congenital abnormalities, including associated complications

• 12% of the infant mortality rate is attributable to a combination of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) and sleeping accidents.

Key factors of mothers whose infant died:

• 4.4% were homeless
• 11.2% had been physically or emotionally abused
• 23.4% had either self-reported or documented mental health problems during pregnancy
• 31.6% had a diagnosed infection (dental or sexually transmitted infection)
• 45.2% had experienced a previous early infant loss
• 12% had no prenatal care

Key factors of infants who died after hospital discharge:

• 46% were sharing a bed or other sleeping area with a parent or caregiver when they died
• 55.6% were exposed to second-hand smoke
• 25% had no well baby care (and were at least 4 weeks old)

What can be done to reduce infant mortality? 

Health care:

• Improve screening and counseling for domestic violence, preterm labor, fetal movement, folic acid deficiencies, depression and safe sleep practices.
• Develop quality standards of care.

Data Access:
Provided timely and relevant health data pertaining to women and children to improve decision making and guide resource allocation.

Health Policy: 
Explore alternative care models that are community-centered, multidisciplinary and include fathers.

Personal Behavior:

• Eliminate tobacco use and unsafe sleep environments
• Ensure that mothers learn the signs and symptoms of preterm labor and appropriate fetal movement.

Race relations:
Engage in meaningful dialogue about racism and stereotyping which impede healthy birth outcomes.

Where can I find more information about infant mortality?  

• http://www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/healthybirths/
• www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS
• http://www.asip1.org/images/BerCouns--CoreComp.pdf - for professionals
• http://www.healingheart.net/ - website with lots of info for families experiencing grief
• http://www.hannah.org/resources/loss.htm - list of resource websites with short commentary on what they are like
• http://hygeia.org/introductionny2.htm - for those suffering perinatal loss