Meghan Pettigrew's Article

Prenatal Care and Infant Mortality

By: Meghan Pettigrew

(MSDH) The Mississippi State Department of Health has recently made infant mortality an agency priority.  The primary causes of infant mortality are low birth weight, premature birth, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome or maternal complications during the pregnancy. 

When it comes to prenatal care, it also utilizes an impact on infant mortality. 

Starting in 2003, the national infant mortality average started at 6.9, and since then has escalated.  In the fall of 2004 the average raised to 9.7, which averaged to one year per thousand lives.  In 2005 the rate jumped sharply to 11.4, which struck the American society making infant mortality a top priority. 

The healthy people 2020 goal for infant mortality in the U.S is 60 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which is a reduction of 10 percent since 2006 with the rate of 6.7 infant deaths per 1,000.

Concerned with the rising numbers each year, federal officials say rates have stagnated in the south at levels way above the national average. 

Over a 10-year span, the rate of Mississippi infants remained relatively unchanged from 2001 to 2010. 

Over the past 10 years the rate of Mississippi infants dying before their first birthday ranged from a low of 9.6 deaths per 1,000 live births to a high of 11.4 deaths per 1,000 live births since 2005.

In 2010, the most recent found infant mortality rate for Mississippi was 9.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

The average rate from 2001 to 2010 was 10.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, with African American infant mortality rates twice as has as whites.

Racial disparity in Mississippi sets as huge factor when observing infant mortality rates.

In Mississippi, infant deaths among African American newborns rose to 17 percent

per thousand births in 2005, in which it was at a low in 2004 averaging out to 14.2

per thousand.  While among whites rose from 6.1 to 6.6 per thousand, and the national average being 5.7 for whites and 14.0 for African Americans. 

The overall jump in Mississippi showed that 65 more babies died in 2005 than in the previous year, with a substantial total of 481.

PhD and Executive Director of the Pregnancy Test Center in Oxford, Peggy Thomas, works with the community on helping lower the city’s infant mortality rates.

“The Pregnancy Test Center is a non-profit business that is funded by individuals and the government,” Thomas said.  All of their services are free and offered to anyone, which includes a pregnancy test and free ultrasound.

“The ultrasound, which is one of the major factors when it comes to prenatal care, is offered for free because the earlier the mother sees the ultrasound, the more real it becomes to them I have a baby inside of me,” Thomas also said. 

Thomas believes after having the free ultrasound expecting mothers start taking better care of themselves, which helps contribute avoiding prenatal care.

The Pregnancy Test Center offers “preparing for a baby” classes, which gives the mother information on how to take care of themselves during pregnancy so that they have healthier babies.  Aside from the “preparing for a baby” classes, the Pregnancy Test Center also offers “parenting” classes, which teaches mothers everything from discipline to reading skills.

Last month, the Pregnancy Test Center had 106 visits, including patients taking classes, and gave 46 pregnancy tests. 

Low to none income patients visit the Pregnancy Test Center daily, which is why Thomas decided to work inconjuntion with the health department.  “Most of our patients are Medicaid qualified and need verification of their pregnancy, so they come to us then take their verification to Medicaid,” Thomas said.

“(WIC) Women, Infants and Children, which is a program that helps with having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, is introduced to expecting mothers by our ultrasound nurse,” Thomas also said.

The Pregnancy Test Center also recently started working with the “SIDS Alliance,” which stands for sudden infant death syndrome.  “The SIDS Alliance comes to explain and work with expecting mothers on how to prevent prenatal care by doing simple motions like not putting the newborns blanket in the crib and having the newborn sleep on their back,” Thomas said.

“Since the SIDS Alliance organization started the “public awareness campaign” about sleeping on the back, SIDS reduced in half just from that one factor,” she said.  

The Pregnancy Test Center is a pro-life business, which does not support abortion.  Instead, they give the expectant mother facts about abortion and work towards adoption, assuring the patients they’re not “giving away their baby, but giving their baby a plan.”

Advanced Practiced Registered Nurse, Kimberly Van Every, of All Care Medical Clinic, takes pride in helping these same types of patients, being one of the only clinics in Oxford that accepts Medicaid.

“First, we send the patient straight to Medicaid and start them out on prenatal vitamins,” Van Every said. 

The staff at All Care Medical clinic give the patients information on the Pregnancy Test Center, and eventually send them there for further care.