Introduction
The public health issue discussed in this paper is the high infant mortality rate in the United States. Newborn mortality is a crucial indicator of a society’s general well-being and is defined as the death of a live-born infant before its first birthday. The infant mortality rate (IMR) in the United States is higher than in other industrialized countries, and in recent years has been approximately five per thousand live births. This rate is even higher for African-American infants, nearly twice the rate for white infants. Changes must be addressed in several areas, including access to health care, poverty, education, and community support, to lower the high infant mortality rate in the United States.
Barriers
Poverty is a significant socioeconomic barrier to reducing the infant mortality rate in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 11.8% of Americans lived in poverty in 2018, with a rate of 22.1% among African-Americans. Poverty is a significant factor in infant mortality because it leads to a lack of access to adequate health care, nutrition, and other resources (Rogers, 2022). Poor women are less likely to receive prenatal care, which is essential for the health of a developing fetus. They are also more likely to have a preterm birth, increasing infant mortality risk. Additionally, poverty can lead to inadequate nutrition, which can also hurt fetal health.
A second socioeconomic barrier to reducing the infant mortality rate in the United States is a lack of education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 2018, only 85.3% of adults aged 25 and over had completed high school or higher education (Mohammed, 2019). Education is essential in reducing infant mortality because it enables individuals to make informed decisions about their health and their children’s health. Women with higher levels of education are more likely to receive prenatal care and have healthier pregnancies and babies. Additionally, educated parents are more likely to be aware of health risks and how to reduce them, leading to healthier pregnancies and infants.
Supports
One of the significant socioeconomic supports for reducing the infant mortality rate in the United States is access to quality health care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018, approximately 87.3% of Americans had health insurance coverage, and this rate was even higher for African-Americans at 91.2% (Lutz & Fiebelkorn, 2020). Access to quality health care is essential for reducing infant mortality because it enables women to receive prenatal care and other services necessary for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Additionally, access to health care enables families to receive the services necessary for a healthy home environment, such as nutrition counseling, safety education, and mental health support.
The second socioeconomic support for reducing the infant mortality rate in the United States is a robust community support system. According to the National Institutes of Health, strong social networks have been shown to positively impact infant health, as they can provide emotional support, information, and other resources to pregnant women and new parents (Harrison & Hall, 2008). Additionally, community-based programs, such as home visiting and parenting classes, can provide the information and resources needed to promote healthy pregnancies and reduce the risk of infant mortality.
Conclusion
Overall, poverty and a lack of education are two significant socioeconomic barriers to reducing the rate of infant mortality in the United States. At the same time, access to quality health care and a robust community support system are two significant supports. To reduce the rate of infant mortality, individuals, organizations, and policymakers must work together to address these barriers and support them. Individuals can support this effort by donating to organizations providing access to quality health care and community resources or volunteering to mentor pregnant women and new parents. Organizations can support this effort by providing resources and services to pregnant women and families and advocating for policies that promote access to quality health care and reduce poverty. Policymakers can support this effort by creating policies that promote access to quality health care, reduce poverty, and support a robust community support system. Working together can reduce the infant mortality rate in the United States and improve the population’s overall health.
References
Harrison, K. M., Ling, Q., Song, R., & Hall, H. I. (2008). County-level socioeconomic status and survival after HIV diagnosis, United States. Annals of epidemiology, 18(12), 919–927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.09.003
Lutz, C. S., Fink, R. V., Cloud, A. J., Stevenson, J., Kim, D., & Fiebelkorn, A. P. (2020). Factors associated with perceptions of influenza vaccine safety and effectiveness among adults, United States, 2017–2018. Vaccine, 38(6), 1393-1401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.12.004
Mohammed, A. A. (2019). Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of the Hypertensive patients towards Lifestyle Modification in the Management of Hypertension in Alrabwa Village, South of Gezira state, Sudan (2018) (Doctoral dissertation, University of Gezira). http://repo.uofg.edu.sd/handle/123456789/4895
Rogers, J., Jay, C. L., Farney, A. C., Orlando, G., Jacobs, M. L., Harriman, D., … & Stratta, R. J. (2022). Simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplantation in Caucasian versus African American patients: Does recipient race influence outcomes? Clinical Transplantation, 36(5), e14599. https://doi.org/10.1111/ctr.14599
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