Heartbreaking Infant Morality in Ohio Essay

Poverty is not simply a deficiency in material resources, it is the complex situation of low income that limits ones access to many of the social determinants of health such as safe and suitable housing, food, child care, education, and can lead to social exclusion (Séguin et al, 2012). The experience of poverty in childhood, particularly early childhood, has been linked to many adverse health effects such as low birth weight, increased incidence of asthma, injuries, mental health issues and obesity (Sharma & Ford-Jones, 2015). The impact of childhood poverty continues into adulthood, increasing the risk of many chronic diseases. Perhaps even

As of 2014, North Carolina ranks as the 8th worst state for infant mortality in the United States with a slight improvement from holding the number one position in 1988. (Health Start Foundation, 2014) As infant mortality rate is broken down by demographics and ethnicity a clearer picture opens the doors of perception and explores preventative measures for this at risk population. African Americans represent 22% of North

For the America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa assignment, I chose to watch the episode “Surviving Year One”. This episode was about the infant mortality rate in Rochester, New York. The infant mortality rate and the poverty rate for this area is very high. The episode also discussed pre-natal care, pregnancy stress, poverty, and marital services. In Rochester, African American babies are twice as likely to be victims of infant mortality or 11.46%. Other racial groups affected include: Puerto Ricans at 7.10%, Native Americans at 8.28%, and Whites at 5.18%. Not only are African American babies more prone to infant mortality, but preterm births hit this community hard at 16.3%. Factor possibly contributing to the infant mortality and preterm

Death and illnesses among women, infant, and child are preventable. In pregnancy, existing health risks can distinguish or prevent any future health problems for women and their children. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2016), some high-risk factors that may consider are the following: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, depression, genetic conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, tobacco and alcohol abuse, inadequate nutrition and unhealthy weight. By having this government Healthy 2020 initiative, factors that can affect the pregnancy and childbirth such as poverty,

In our community, disparities in mortality rates have been shown to be influenced by the unequal distribution of resources such as adequate income, quality nutrition, jobs, transportation, insurance enrollment, stable housing and education level. In Columbus, black families are more likely to be affected by poverty, joblessness and education deficits and in turn are more likely to experience an infant death. Considering this information, city government should enact laws, write policy, and develop programs that would decrease the infant mortality disparities in the black community and improve social and economic conditions (Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force,

Ohio has so much potential. Property is cheap, taxes are cheap, the colleges are cheaper than most, but people are fleeing the state at alarming rates. There is only one reason that comes to mind for this. The state government. It sounds narrow, I know, but everything the state government does, affects this state, and our lives drastically. An example of this would be College Credit Plus, which is helping students tremendously, or the Commercial Activity Tax, or CAT, which is driving small businesses out of the state, or even how Ohio still hasn’t legalized recreational marijuana. I know you can’t fix who is in our state government, but there are things our state government, and the people of Ohio can do in order to better the state.

The black infant mortality rate in 2010, (11.8) was similar to the white infant mortality rate in 1980 (11.7); an unbelievable thirty year difference for a balance measure (Florida Vital Statistics Annual Report, 2012). Currently, in the local community of Orange County, Florida the infant mortality rate exceeds that of the US at 7.5, and the rate is also doubled in African American women at 13.5, wheres it is 5.6 for births by white women (Florida Charts, 2014). Per Florida Charts (2014), disorders related to short gestation (pre-term birth – less than 37 weeks of pregnancy) and low birth weight, followed by sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are the leading causes of infant deaths in African American births in Orange County, which is relative to the rest of the

The mortality rate has been high in the region but in the past ten years there has been a notable decrease in birth rate. This has however not affected the population growth of the area. The Chicago pregnant mothers have smoking habits which is one of the causes of the decrease in the birth rate. Generally the area recorded a decrease in the infant mortality rate. It decreased from 7.6 in 2003 to 7.3 infants’ death less than 1 year of age per 1,000 live births in 2004. This represents the second lowest record in the United States according to Illinois Centre for Health Statistics, a division of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). According to the report, the infant mortality rate decreased by 4.6 per cent between 2003 and 2004 and at the same period the birth rate decreased by 0.9 percent. This was due to the fall in the number of the total births in the area. However, there was a decrease in the mortality rate in the state during this period due to the effects of the neonatal period. The neonatal mortality rate decreased from 6.5 to 5.4 percent between 2003 and 2004 while the postnatal mortality rate increased from 3.1to 3.0 between the same periods (2003-2004). The infant mortality rate recorded a larger decline among the blacks compared to the whites, that is, 15.6 in 2003 to 14.8 in 2004 (Sinai Urban Health

though on average 25 percent died within the first year of life and childhood diseases prevented

As discussed previously women tend to have lower incomes then men this leads to higher levels of poverty in women. In the U.S 56% of people living in poverty are women, globally that percentage jumps to 70%. Not surprisingly women responsible for children are the largest group of people living in poverty. The combination of financial insecurity, heavy workloads with minimal pay and the emotional responsibility of caring for children can exact a heavy toll on women’s emotional health. Poverty also has an effect on a women’s physical health. Adverse health outcomes are two times higher amongst people in disadvantaged social position compared to those in advantaged social position. With a lack of access to proper housing and nutrition many women living in poverty experience distressing medical conditions and have no access to proper medical care. These issues can lead to adverse effects on mental health and psychological disorders (Astbury,

Poverty causes most stress within households and has an impact on the healthy development of a child.

believe their child's life may have meaning or purpose they do not yet understand. They believe they

“High rates of child poverty are a cause for concern, as low family income has been associated with a range of negative health, education, justice, labour market and social outcomes. Negative health outcomes include low birth weight, infant mortality, poorer mental health and cognitive development, and hospital admissions from a variety of causes” (Craig, Reddington, Wicken, Oben & Simpson, 2013, pg. 24).

Poverty can lead to serious effects. Children who grow up in poverty are likely to have frequent health problems than the children who grow in better financial circumstances. For example, infants who are born into poverty have a low birth weight, and they grow up with mental or physical disabilities. Not only are they sick, but they are most likely to die before their first birthday. Children who are raised in poverty might miss school often because of their illnesses, and they have a much higher accident rate than the other children. Nearly a billion of the world’s population can’t read nor write. Poor families experience stress much more than a normal family does. They are more likely to be exposed to negative events such as illness, job loss, death of a family member, and depression. Homelessness is another effect of poverty. Homeless children are less likely to receive proper nutrition, protection and they experience more health problems. Around 1.4 million children die each year from lack of access to safe and clean water and proper nutrition. Homeless women experience a high rate of low birth weight infants as well as miscarriages. Families who do not have homes receive much more stress than other families. They also have disruption in school, work, friendships, and family relationships. There are other effects of poverty such as drug abuse and addiction, child and woman abuse, debts pressure, and increase in crimes.

Poverty brings several things with it that increase the infant’s risk to physical, emotional, and cognitive harm. The infants and children raised in poverty are less likely to receive basic medical treatment. Untreated illnesses can have lifelong effect on a child. Poverty is a generational issue and often times the mothers has not been taught basic play and interaction skills with their newborn from their mother. It is rare that one moves beyond their scope of life experience. Poverty is one of the risk factors that have additional consequences that accompany it. The families are more likely to live in substandard conditions that expose the infant to environmental risks such as contaminated drinking water and lead. Additional stressors during this stage are financial stressors and depression among the infant’s caregiver. These issues can lead to ignoring of the infant’s emotional needs and the infant misses the opportunity to create a lifelong bond with another and trust in another being able to meet their needs. Inadequate parenting can occur over a child’s entire life span with different and yet still devastating results. As stated in by Hutchinson in her book Dimensions of Human Behavior, Changing the Life Course (2008):