Every infant in the county survives and thrives
Infant Mortality in Hamilton County, Ohio
Infant mortality, defined as death of a live born infant before his or her first birthday, is a commonly used measure of overall community health. Infant mortality is associated with disability, child morbidity/mortality, and life expectancy. In Hamilton County, the infant mortality rate is disturbingly and persistently higher than in other urban counties, the U.S., and other industrialized countries.
Infant mortality rate is defined as infant deaths per 1,000 live births. In some European and Asian countries, the infant mortality rate is 5.0 or below, while the U.S. rate is 6.8. The Hamilton County infant mortality rate stood at 9.8 in 2002. The African American rate of 18.1 is three times greater than the White rate of 5.7.
(Source: World Health Organization; National Center for Health Statistics; Ohio Department of Health)
Infant Deaths Represent the "Tip of the Iceberg"
Infant death is the worst outcome or "tip of the iceberg." Yet for every premature infant who dies, there are many more infants born prematurely who have life long handicapping conditions. These disabilities may be severe (e.g., cerebral palsy and developmental delays), however, far more premature infants live with moderate and persistent handicaps (e.g., hearing and/or vision loss, learning disability, ADHD). As newborn care has improved over the years, survival of premature infants and infants with birth defects has improved, but many of these survivors are disabled.
Hamilton County
Infant Mortality Risk Surveillance System (IMRSS)
The IMRSS will provide the ability to monitor characteristics of women of child bearing age and pregnancies that put them at risk of infant death. It is designed as a measurement system to provide useful information to programs and agencies in Hamilton County that manage interventions designed to reduce infant mortality.
How can community programs and agencies that are attempting to address infant mortality use the IMRSS to help them?
Community programs and agencies should identify:
- their specific target populations.
- the specific aspects of the infant mortality problem that they are trying to address, for example preconception health, access to care, prenatal health, prematurity, injury, congenital malformations, sleep position, SIDS reduction etc.,
- which outcomes will improve if their efforts are working to reduce infant death.
Other Infant Mortality Initiatives in the Community
More community effort is necessary to reduce Hamilton County infant mortality. Many community organizations are interested in combining efforts.
A key collaboration includes the organization of the Infant Mortality Advisory Panel (IMAP). Since 2005, a group of experts, including physicians and epidemiologists, have been meeting under the leadership of Tim Ingram, Health Commissioner of the Hamilton Count General Health District, to reduce infant mortality through the creation of a surveillance system that tracks all infant deaths and can be used to evaluate community interventions.
For more information on current work products of IMAP or the CPRC, select from the links below.
- Recommendations for Reducing Infant Mortality in Hamilton County (140k)
- African American Infant Death, Hamilton County (121k)
- Child Death Rate, Hamilton County
- Child Deaths, Hamilton County, By Race, 2000 - 2005 (19k)
- Resident Child Deaths and Child Population, All Races, 2000 - 2005 (19k)
- Resident Child Deaths by Age, Population, 2000 - 2005 (20k)
- Resident Child Deaths by Age, All Races, 2000 - 2005 (20k)
- Resident Child Deaths and Child Population, White, 2000 - 2005 (19k)
- Resident Child Deaths and Child Population, African-American, 2000 - 2005 (19k)
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