Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Infant Mortality Rate Up

by Dr. Sandra B. Nichols, Director

Arkansas Department of Health

One of the best indications of a society's overall health is the rate at which babies die during their first year of life. This is called the infant mortaliy rate.

America ranks nineteenth among the nations of the world in infant mortality -- behind Japan, Hong Kong and most European countries.

Arkansas' infant mortality rate is even more alarming. The state's high 9.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births eclipses that of some third- world countries.

But the picture is not totally bleak. A program called Campaign for Healthier Babies is working to improve the rate by encouraging pregnant women to get early and continuous prenatal care.

One of the major factors contributing to infant mortality is the high incidence of babies born too small (low birth weight). Babies with birth weight of less than five and one-half pounds account for nearly 60 percnet of all infant deaths.

Low birth weight babies who survive are at higher risk for developmental delays and speech, hearing, vision and respiratory problems. The complications can be lifelong. Low birth weight is directly linked to poor prenatal nutrition, bad health habits and lack of medical care.

One-fourth of all pregnant women in the United States either receive no prenatal care at all or none during the crucial first three months of pregnancy.

If mothers get to their doctor or clinic as soon as they know they are pregnant, potential probleams can be treated, thereby reducing the risks for the baby.

When the Campaign for Healthier Babies began, its core coalition knew it would take more than just telling expectant mothers to get early prenatal care; that had been done for years.

The group, which consists of the Arkansas Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, UAMS Medical Center, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the March of Dimes and others, looked at a similar program in South Carolina. That program offered a book of coupons that correspond to the months of pregnancy. The Arkansas coalition decided to adopt and improve on the idea and name it "The Happy Birthday Baby Book."

The Happy Birthday Baby Book contains merchandise coupons corresponding to each month of pregnancy and the first year of well-baby checkups. Coupons are validated by the doctor or clinic when the woman has her checkup.

The idea is to motivate the mothers to make appointments and keep them. The coupons can be redeemed for baby care products, groceries and even restaurant pizza. The book also contains helpful information about nutrition, state service, phone numbers for help and general information about baby care. There's even a section on what the dad's role should be in taking care of the baby before and after it arrives.

Radio and television commercials for the Campaign for Healthier Babies are seen by more than 80 percent of Arkansas women 18 years old and older each year. Campaign ads are also placed in over 100 Arkansas newspapers.

The Campaign's honorary co-chairs, Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee and Little Rock businessman Curt Bradbury, say, "The message is apparently getting through. Since the program began in 1992, more than 66,000 women have received the Happy Birthday Baby Book, and the percentage of Arkansas women who seek prenatal care has shown a steady increase since the program began."

The book is available in English and Spanish by calling the toll-free number that is featured in the statewide commericals and advertisements (1-800-235-0002).

The media campaign is paid for by several Arkansas hospitals that work with media and marketing partners who contribute time and effort for maximum coverage. This is an excellent example of the private sector working with the public sector to improve the health of Arkansans.

In addition to the Campaign for Healthier Babies, other efforts underway to improve the state's infant mortality rate.

The Health Department's "Babies and You" program encourages businesses to provide prenatal education programs for pregnant employees.

Women in the program are taught the importance of healthy behaviors before and after childbirth. The 40 participating companies have reported increased productivity and decreased absenteeism among employees who enroll.

The Health Department also provides prenatal care at 70 sites in 56 counties.

For more information about prenatal care or the Campaign for Healthier Babies, call Jean Hagerman, director of Perinatal Health at the Arkansas Department of Health, at 501-661-2269.