Success Stories
The Alaska Infant Safe Sleep Initiative
By Debbie Golden, RN, BC, MS
Perinatal Nurse Consultant
State of Alaska
Division of Public Health
Section of Women's, Children's and Family Health
A high and stable rate of postneonatal mortality in Alaska (3.6/1000 live births in 2008[i]), and the belief that the majority of these deaths are preventable, have led the Alaska Section of Women’s, Children’s and Family Health (WCFH) to focus recent research and outreach on this tragic outcome. Alaska Native infants have a postneonatal mortality rate 2.3 times higher than the rate for non-Native infants, yet one WCFH study found that this increased risk was almost all explained by higher proportions among Alaska native mothers of women with less than 12 years of education, women who were unmarried and did not indicate a father on the infant birth certificate, and women who reported prenatal alcohol or tobacco use.[ii] [read more]
Wisconsin Launches Several New Initiatives
By Patrice Mocny Onheiber, MPA
Director, Disparities in Birth Outcomes
Bureau of Community Health Promotion
Wisconsin Division of Public Health, Department of Health Services
Millie Jones, PA, MPH
Family Health Clinical Consultant
Wisconsin Division of Public Health
Wisconsin’s African American infant mortality rate in 2004 was the highest in the nation, at 19.2 per 1,000 live births, (a black-white infant mortality rate of 4.3, nearly twice the United States ratio). A sense of urgency has resulted in a number of new initiatives for Wisconsin’s MCH program, local officials and community advocates. [read more]
Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR): Addressing Local Health Disparities and Providing Insight for State Program and Policy Development
By Kathleen Buckley, MSN
Director, National Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Community based FIMR is an action-oriented continuous quality improvement process leading from review of cases to community action that improves service systems and resources for all women, infants and families, but especially those in communities with disparities in infant outcomes. Three components of the FIMR process are especially valuable in addressing disparities: 1) the diverse coalition/community partnership building component of the process itself; 2) inclusion of the voice of local families who experienced an infant loss and 3) the outcome interventions. [read more]
View from Washington
How Health Reform Might Impact Infant Mortality
By Brent Ewig, MHS
Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs, AMCHP
September is infant mortality awareness month, so now is an opportune time to look at how provisions included in health reform might impact this leading MCH issue. First the bad news: there is unfortunately no explicit mention of reducing infant mortality in any of the four health reform bills passed by Congressional Committees to date. The good news is that each of these proposals would extend affordable health insurance to the estimated one in five women of childbearing age who are currently uninsured. [read more]
Who's New
ASTHO Leadership Meets with New CDC Director, Dr. Tom Frieden
As part of an ASTHO leadership visit to CDC in Atlanta several ASTHO members and staff had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Tom Frieden, the newly appointed CDC Director. Dr. Frieden shared his priorities with ASTHO, which are an informative look at potential future directions for the CDC. [read more]
Special Announcement
CDC Funding for its SUID Case Registry Project
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Reproductive Health announces that it has awarded five states funding to participate in CDC's Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Case Registry pilot project. The purpose of the pilot project is to enhance state-based SUID information collection systems that will eventually form the basis of a national SUID Case Registry. After completing a feasibility study in 2007, the CDC identified the National Center for Child Death Review (NCCDR) and their web-based data collection tool as the most efficient system to integrate SUID case investigation information. [read more]
Get Involved
AMCHP to Host a Webinar on Worksite Wellness Programs for Women’s Health
AMCHP will host a webinar on “Worksite Wellness Programs for Women's Health & MCH” on September 24 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. (EDT) as part of its Women's Health Information Series. Presenters will include Steve Ableman, MBA, CHE- Director, Worksite Wellness Programs, March of Dimes; Karen Hench, RN, MS- Division of Healthy Start and Perinatal Services, MCHB/HRSA/DHHS; and Kristina Helmer, Health Educator, Division of Health Protection and Promotion Sedgwick County Health Department. [read more]
Call for Abstracts
The National Healthy Start Association is seeking abstract submissions for both poster and oral presentations that are research-focused, clinical-focused, or program-focused for their 2010 Annual Spring Conference. The deadline for abstracts is by October 23 at 5 p.m. (EDT). [read more]
National Infant Mortality Awareness Month Events
The Office of Minority Health (OMH) has developed a webpage for National Infant Mortality Awareness Month events. [read more]
Submit Your Best Practice Today
AMCHP is seeking submissions of best practices in maternal and child health from around the country. Whether it’s an effective campaign to promote breastfeeding, an outstanding home visiting program, or a proven early intervention program for young children, get the word out about your best practice. [read more]
Data and Trends
PeriStats - Your Online Source for Perinatal Statistics
The PeriStats website developed by the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center offers state-specific perinatal data, including detailed data for the largest cities and counties in the United States, and is available free of charge. [read more]
Resources
View and download resources on Infant Mortality. [read more]
Board of Directors
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AMCHP staff
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