1. KYLEE CARDOSO, KARINA DESOUSA, NADA LAROUSSI
Infant Mortality Rate Among African Americans as Compared to the General Population in Massachusetts
Source: Google images
KYLEE CARDOSO, KARINA DESOUSA, NADA LAROUSSI 1

2. DEFINITION OF INFANT MORTALITY RATE
Infant Mortality- the death of a baby before its first birthday
Infant Mortality Rate- the number of infant deaths per every 1,000 live births
Infant Mortality can be further categorized as:
Neonatal
Postneonatal
In 2013, 74% of infant deaths occurred during the neonatal period, while 26% of infant deaths occurred during the postneonatal period, in Massachusetts. 2
Source: Google images

3. WHAT IS A HEALTH DISPARITY?
“The differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of disease and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States.” 3
Source: Google images

4. 4
Source: Google images
Source: MassCHIP (2013)

5. CAUSES OF INFANT MORTALITY
Environmental factors during gestation affect the health of newborns
Mother who smokes, drinks alcohol, abuses drugs, and/or does not receive adequate prenatal care can all affect a newborn’s chances of survival.
The Massachusetts Child Fatality Review Program Report of determined the leading causes of Infant Mortality to be:
Short Gestation/Low birthweight
Congenital Malformations
Maternal Complications
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome 5
Source: Google images

6. Prenatal & Postnatal Care
Objectives: risk assessment, health education, and psychological support.
Appointments last minutes.
Patients are often referred to childbirth classes, other social and psychological classes, and/or nutritional services.
Postnatal care typically consist of 3 visits. 6

7. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF HEALTH DISPARITY
Exposure to stressors
Racism and discrimination
Shown to increase chronic stress and negative health consequences in African American women.
Socioeconomic Causes
Environmental factors
African Americans often live in poorer neighborhoods and lack adequate health care.
Obesity
Prepregnancy obesity has been linked to infant mortality and stillbirth.
African Americans are 1.5 times more obese than Caucasians. 7
Source: Google images
Source: Poverty in Massachusetts by Race (2011)

8. Boston University’s School of Public Health claims that “Compared to babies born to women with normal pre-pregnancy weights, the risk of infant death was 32 percent higher for mothers in the obese I category and 73 percent higher for those in the obese III category, even after controlling for demographic and medical risk factors.” 8
Source: Google images
Source: Mass.gov (2014)

9. Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC)9
Source: Benefits.gov
Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2011)

10. Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2011)10
Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health (2011)

11. Source: Google images 11

12. INEQUALITIES
In 2015, out of a total of 636 total medical school graduates (MD only) in Massachusetts, 368 were Caucasian, while only 27 were African American.
Long history of medical system’s abuse
African American women often feel mistrust and anxiety towards medical professionals.
History of forced sterilizations on African American women in US.
During pregnancy, African American women have been denied treatment. 12
Source: Google images

13. PREVENTION National Healthy Start Association
Food, Health & Well-Being Program
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
Centering Pregnancy
Boston-based healthcare institute that encourages pregnant women to choose health promoting behaviors & offers a peer support system.
Source: Google images 13

14. POSSIBLE PREVENTIONS Managing chronic illnesses
Health Care providers should make patients aware of ways they can prevent infant mortality, which include:
Managing chronic illnesses
Refraining from use of alcohol or drugs
Eating well
Reducing stress
Maintaining prenatal care
Source: Google images 14
Source: Google images

15. SUPPORT FOR PARENTS EXPERIENCING GRIEF
The Massachusetts Center for Unexpected Infant and Child Death
Health care professionals are from diverse backgrounds and speak multiple languages
Trained in cultural awareness and sensitivity
Provide crisis counseling
Provide preliminary autopsy information
Offer home visits
Send condolence letter to family
Inform parents of support group meetings
Source: Google images 15

16. CONCLUSION
By 2050 it is predicted that 56% of the adolescent population in the US will be made up of African Americans, Latino/Hispanics, Alaskan Natives/Native Americans, and/or Asian/Native Hawaiians.
Due to the increase in diversity by 2050 along with preventative measures that are continuing to raise awareness, there is hope for a significant decline in the infant mortality rate disparity between African Americans and the general population.
Source: Google images 16

17. QUESTIONS? 17
Source: Google images

18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Albelda, R., Cadet, F., and Mei, D. (2011). Poverty In Massachusetts by Race. Center for Social Policy Publications. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
Christopher, G. C. (2013). Improving Birth Outcomes Requires Closing the Racial Gap. American Journal of Public Health, 104(1) Retrieved June 11, 2017.
D. (2009, April 01). Health Status Indicators. Retrieved June 12, 2017, from health/masschip/health-status-indicators.html
Hause, J. (2011) Pregnancy Data Report (pp. 1-59, Rep.). Boston, MA: CDC/Massachusetts WIC.
Infant Mortality Awareness Campaign. (2016). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from
James Jennings, et al., Blacks in Massachusetts: Comparative Demographic, Social and Economic Experiences with Whites, Latinos, and Asians, Prepared for the Trotter Institute, University of Massachusetts, Boston and the John D. O'Bryant Institute, Northeastern University (December 2015)
Lemon, L. S., Naimi, A. I., Abrams, B., Kaufman, J. S., Bodnar, L. M. (2016). Prepregnancy Obesity and the Racial Disparity in Infant Mortality. The Obesity Society, 24(12) Retrieved June 11, 2017.
Massachusetts Births (2014). Retrieved June 13, 2017, from pdf
Matthews, T. J., MacDorman, M. F., and Thomas, M. E. (2015). Infant Mortality Statistics From the 2013 Period Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Set. National Vital Statistics Reports, 64(9), Retrieved June 11, 2017
Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Health of Massachusetts. Boston, MA; April Retrieved June 21, 2017.
National Center for Health Statistics, final mortality data, and period linked birth/infant death data, 1995-present. Retrieved June 12, 2017, from
Nields, H. M., & Pavlos, C. (2015). Mass Fatality Management Overview. Mass Fatality Management Concise Field Guide, doi: /b 18

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Novick, G. (2009). Women's Experience of Prenatal Care: An Integrative Review. NIH Public Access. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
Rosenthal, L., Lobel, M. (2011). Explaining racial disparities in adverse birth outcomes: Unique sources of stress for Black American women. Social Science & Medicine, Retrieved June 11, 2017.
Satcher, D., Pamies, R. J., & Woelfl, N. N. (2011). Multicultural medicine and health disparities. New York: McGraw Hill Professional
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2013). Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity: The Potential Impact of the Affordable Care Act (pp , Publication). Washington DC: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Our Services. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from
Racism and Discrimination. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2017, from
Reproductive Birth Outcomes. (2016, October 26). Retrieved June 12, 2017, from 19