Rising infant mortality rates prompt Mississippi's public health crisis declaration - Key insights provided
In a bid to address the alarming infant mortality rates in the state, Mississippi has declared a public health emergency. This move allows officials to swiftly address gaps in care and tackle the crisis head-on.
The state's infant mortality rate in 2024 stood at 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, nearly double the most recent national average of 5.6 deaths per 1,000. Disparities remain stark, with Black infants more than twice as likely as White infants to die before their first birthday. These racial gaps have widened recently, according to state data.
Medicaid plays an outsized role in Mississippi, financing almost 6 in 10 of births in the state. However, federal funding cuts and congressional proposals could leave 20,000 to 40,000 more residents without coverage, potentially exacerbating the issue.
The high correlation of racial differences in infant mortality is primarily due to socioeconomic disparities, unequal access to quality healthcare, and systemic racism affecting prenatal and postnatal care.
To combat this, the state has unveiled a plan that includes expanding prenatal services in counties without obstetric providers, creating an obstetric system of care to regionalize services and improve emergency transfers, and strengthening home visiting and community health worker programs.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) program, aimed at improving maternal and infant health outcomes, is targeted for elimination. PRAMS was crucial for Mississippi, as it helped the state track maternal behaviors and monitor infant outcomes. The firing of CDC staffers responsible for PRAMS in June has further complicated the state's response.
Experts caution that individual and clinical interventions alone cannot solve the problem of high infant mortality rates. States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have seen measurable improvements in infant health. For example, Arkansas reported a 29% reduction in Black infant mortality in the five years following expansion.
The leading causes of infant death in Mississippi include congenital malformations, premature birth, low birthweight, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
In other parts of the country, similar disparities persist. In Boston, Black infants die at more than twice the rate of the overall population and triple the rate of White infants, despite the city's overall infant mortality rate falling below the national average.
PRAMS is considered important for improving outcomes for mothers and infants by 65% of Americans, according to a poll. The loss of this program could limit the state's ability to detect trends such as unsafe sleep practices or gaps in postpartum care, further hindering efforts to address the crisis.
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