Lawmakers Try To Aid Ohio's Black Mothers, Infants

COLUMBUS, OH — Black infants are 2.5 times more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants. Ohio lawmakers are now taking steps to try and stop the deaths of black children.

Last week, legislators sent House Bill 11 (HB 11) to Gov. Mike DeWine's desk for approval. The legislation would require the Ohio Department of Health to build a grant program for prenatal health care services. Those grants would be directed to pregnant Medicaid recipients living in parts of the state with high preterm birth rates.

“I am committed to changing the narrative around health disparities and death among mothers in Ohio,” said Rep. Stephanie Howse, who authored the bill. “I am pleased with the passage of House Bill 11 and the impact it will have on future generations. There is still more work to be done, but we are prepared to continue to fight for our mothers and babies!”

House Bill 11 would also require Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation medications and services.

Black infants are 2.5 times more likely to die than white infants in the Buckeye State, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health. Nine Ohio counties accounted for nearly 66 percent of all infant deaths statewide. Those counties were Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, Mahoning, Montgomery, Stark and Summit. Those same counties account for 90 percent of all black infant deaths.

The racial disparity is most pronounced in counties with major metro hubs, such as Cuyahoga, Franklin and Hamilton.

Cuyahoga County

• Major metro hub: Cleveland
• White infant mortality rate: 4.6 per 1,000 births
• Black infant mortality rate: 15.6 per 1,000 births

Franklin County

• Major metro hub: Columbus
• White infant mortality rate: 5.1 per 1,000 births
• Black infant mortality rate: 12.0 per 1,000 births

Hamilton County

• Major metro hub: Cincinnati
• White infant mortality rate: 4.4 per 1,000 births
• Black infant mortality rate: 16.5 per 1,000 births

"While there are indications of promising progress, there is much more that we must do to help more Ohio babies reach their first birthdays, particularly African-American infants, given that the black infant mortality rate hasn't changed significantly since 2009," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said when the report was released in February.