Ohio's Black Infants Die At 3 Times The Rate Of White Infants

New data says the infant mortality rate among black Ohioans is increasing, even while overall infant mortality rates are dropping in Ohio. Black infants are now three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Statewide in 2017, Ohio saw a decrease in infant mortalities, with 7.2 out of 1,000 infants passing away. Less than 1,000 infants died in Ohio for only the second time since 1938. The infant-mortality rate for white and Hispanic infants decreased from 2016 to 2017. While there were overall improvement, the mortality rate for black infants continues to climb, the ODH reported.

“The data shows we are helping more babies in the state reach their first birthdays, but we still have a lot of work to do – particularly in eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes,” said ODH Director Lance Himes. “Ohio is investing millions of dollars in local infant mortality and disparity initiatives, particularly in high-risk communities and populations.”

In Cuyahoga County, the racial disparity in infant mortality rates is even worse. Black infants are six times more likely to die than white infants in the county, according to research by the Center for Community Solutions.

"We do see black residents have higher rates of low-birth rate and preterm birth, those are risk-factors," Kate Warren, a research associate at the Center, told Patch. "It's a complicated issue, but Cuyahoga County has some of the highest infant mortality rates in the state."

Preterm births occur before a woman has gone through 37 weeks of pregnancy. Chronic illnesses, high blood pressure, previous preterm births, and other factors can all contribute to preterm births, according to Stanford's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital.

Preterm births are a major contributing factor to infant death in the first 27 days of life (the neonatal period), the Ohio Department of Health said. Black infant mortality rate during the neonatal period increased 9 percent between 2016 and 2017.

"Infant deaths during the neonatal period are often the result of preterm birth or low birth weight and influenced by the health of the mother before and during pregnancy. Identifying at-risk women and connecting them to care can help reduce preterm birth and neonatal infant deaths," the ODH said.

In 2017, in Ohio, there were 982 infant deaths. The vast majority, 684, occurred during the neonatal period, according to ODH statistics.

In 2017, there were 118 infant deaths in Cuyahoga County and 88 occurred in the neonatal period. The infant mortality rate for the county was a staggering 8.8 (remember, the state rate was 7.2). In the past five years, between 2013 and 2017, there were 656 infant deaths in Cuyahoga.

Cuyahoga is one of nine counties that contributed to 90 percent of the state's black infant deaths and two-thirds of all infant deaths.

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As noted, nine of the state's 88 counties accounted for 90 percent of black infant deaths, two-thirds of all infant deaths. Four of the nine counties are in Northeast Ohio (Cuyahoga, Mahoning, Summit, Canton) and each of Ohio's largest cities was highlighted as a problem area by the ODH.

• Butler Co.,
• Cleveland/Cuyahoga Co.,
• Columbus/Franklin Co.,
• Cincinnati/Hamilton Co.,
• Toledo/Lucas Co.,
• Youngstown/Mahoning Co.,
• Dayton/Montgomery Co.,
• Canton/Stark Co., and
• Akron/Summit Co.

There are organizations working to stymie the high occurrence of infant mortality among the black community of Cuyahoga County. Birthing Beautiful Communities and Moms First both connect expectant mothers with community resources and provide educational material to parents.

The current Ohio budget also allocates $50 million to improving birth outcomes and easing racial disparity. Over the next year, some $7.5 million in grants will be allocated to 14 Ohio counties with the highest rate of black infant mortality. The money will be earmarked for use promoting healthy pregnancies, positive birth outcomes, and healthy infant growth and development, the ODH said.

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