The infant mortality rate for whites rose slightly from the 6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1998 to 6.8 in 1999. But the fact that the minority infant mortality appears to be closing in on a rate closer to that of whites is certainly good news. The persistence of health disparities in ethnic minorities and poor people is our biggest public health challenge. In addition to promoting the use of folic acid and several other on-going programs, the Division of Public Health has two major initiatives underway that show particular potential for reducing infant mortality. One is the effort to empower communities to eliminate the racial disparity in infant mortality rates.
Healthy communities help assure healthy babies are born.
The Division of Public Health recently received a third federal Healthy Start Baby Love Plus grant. The three main grant components are outreach, transportation assistance, and community involvement. Critical community organizations will be involved and receive limited funding to address grassroots infant mortality related issues. The second effort focuses on reducing the number of unintended pregnancies that often result in poor birth outcomes. Almost half of all pregnancies in North Carolina are unintended.