[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 163 (Thursday, October 27, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL INFANT MORTALITY AWARENESS MONTH

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                         HON. DONNA F. EDWARDS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 27, 2011

  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, last month was National Infant Mortality 
Awareness Month and was established to highlight the tragic occurrences 
of infant deaths across the nation and to raise awareness about those 
programs that can help save lives and ensure our children are healthy. 
As we know, infant mortality, the rate at which babies die before their 
first birthday, is an important measure of the nation's health and a 
worldwide indicator of health status and social well-being.
  Although the overall infant mortality rate (IMR) in the United States 
(U.S.) steadily declined for several decades, it has leveled off for 
the past several years. In 2009, the rate of infant deaths before age 
one for the U.S. was 6.4 per 1,000 live births. Unfortunately, the U.S. 
IMR is higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and 
Development (OECD) average and that of most European countries.
  Though the rate for Maryland has dropped from 7.2 to 6.7, the rates 
throughout the state remain astoundingly high. Last year, the infant 
mortality rate for Prince George's County was 9.0 or 22% of all infant 
deaths in the state of Maryland. Montgomery County realized a decline 
from 5.5 the previous year to 4.3 this year, but still had the fourth 
highest number of deaths in Maryland (behind Baltimore City, Prince 
George's County, and Baltimore County).
  In our nation, minority communities are especially affected by higher 
IMR. For example, across the country African Americans have higher 
incidences of infant mortality than do their white counterparts. In 
Maryland, the IMR for African American mothers was 11.8 compared to 4.1 
for white mothers. These statistics bring to light the staggering 
disparities between race, ethnicity, age, education, and socio-economic 
levels.
  National Infant Mortality Month gives us an opportunity to raise 
public awareness about the levels at which this problem continues to 
affect our communities, and to educate women about ways they may reduce 
infant mortality with good health care during the mother's pregnancy 
and the early years of the child's life. Research indicates that a 
number of federal programs may reduce the IMR. Programs such as the 
Maternal and Child Health Block Grant and Healthy Start are vital 
programs tasked with bringing awareness to factors that contribute to 
the nation's high infant mortality rate, including low birth weight, 
congenital abnormalities, and sudden infant death syndrome. With the 
support of local organizations and clinics like the Montgomery County 
Department of Health and Human Services and the Suitland Health and 
Wellness Center, we can advance a number of strategies to reduce infant 
mortality and help mothers and children live long and healthy lives.
  I will continue to support and bring awareness to programs that 
increase access to health care and improve the quality of prenatal and 
newborn care to prevent the causes of infant mortality. As our nation 
recovers from these difficult economic times and families may 
experience gaps in health coverage due to job loss, transitions, and 
financial instability, it is especially vital that we continue to 
support adequate funding for these programs. We need to ensure that our 
babies get a healthy start to celebrate their first birthday and 
beyond.
  I am pleased that even though the House of Representatives did not 
recognize National Infant Mortality Awareness Month by passing a 
resolution, the Senate did. By doing so, it brought much needed 
attention and awareness to the importance of reducing our infant 
mortality rate.

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