Where transportation and child care needs pose a problem, the community can concentrate on solutions tailored to local resources. Community commitment and direction are the key to identifying and targeting local needs. Emphasize behavior change as well as medical care. One tenth of infant deaths can be traced to smoking, and some 10 percent of pregnant women are abusing drugs. In fact, some hospitals report that as many as 40 percent of newborns are drug-exposed.
Alcohol consumption can also affect infant health.
If we're serious about impacting infant health, we must confront these behavior-related problems. We must help young women avoid, and when necessary help them confront and overcome, harmful addictions. We also need to tell our teens and preteens, without hesitation or embarrassment, that the healthy and smart decision is to delay sexual activity until both father and mother are ready to commit to marriage and child-rearing. This piece of wisdom may be ancient, but it is not out-dated. We need to support one another, through our families and communities, toward healthful behavior choices and productive lives.