One way to measure the health of a community is to track the number of babies that celebrate their first birthday. In this respect, St. Lucie County is getting healthier.
In a matter of just a few years, the infant mortality rate has dropped across the board, according to the local health department – but more needs to be done, especially for the African-American community.
In 2014, nearly 19 African-American babies out of 1,000 died before they turned 1. In 2017, the most recent numbers available, 7 out of 1,000 died.
“I was really stoked” to see the drop, said Sonya Gabriel, the community health nursing consultant with the Department of Health-St. Lucie County.
But even though the county’s overall infant mortality rate is 4.6 per 1,000, it’s too many, she said.
“That’s still a decent rate,” Gabriel said.
The Department of Health is taking on a number of strategies to combat early childhood deaths, including recognizing September as Infant Mortality Awareness Month.
Gabriel said the department is focused on helping pregnant mothers get to 37 weeks of gestation before giving birth, increasing breastfeeding information and education, and encouraging better health habits for obese mothers.
The agency is also working to determine why – even with all the work it and other agencies have put in – there remains a large disparity in infant mortality rates between white and African-American babies.
“It’s very difficult to figure out,” said Marie Jorda. Last year, 2 in 1,000 white babies died, while the rate for African-American babies was 7.3 in 1,000.
Jorda was hired two years ago to serve as the fetal infant mortality review coordinator. Her position was made possible through funding from the Allegany Franciscan Ministries’ Common Good Initiative.
Jorda is tasked with reviewing infant death cases to determine any related causes. She also has proposed specific prevention strategies, including the DOSE program.
The DOSE – or Direct On Scene Education – program trained first responders to provide information on safe sleep for infants. First responders are to provide the information after clearing their call. The information is given when a child under the age of 1 is in the home or there is a pregnant female on scene.
Jorda said that, while overall infant mortality is decreasing, she is seeing an increase in the number of sleep-related deaths in St. Lucie County.
Babies are supposed to be placed on their backs when put to sleep and they should not share a bed with their parents, Jorda stressed.
“That’s dangerous,” she said. Also problematic is having anything other than baby in the crib. Blankets, pillows, toys –none of that should be in the crib until the baby is older.
When a sleep-related death does occur, Jorda’s team goes to the home and re-enacts the steps leading up to the child being put to bed. The effort, though understandably painful for the family, helps Jorda determine what happened. Armed with that information, a plan could be put in place to prevent another such death from happening.
Other efforts involve promoting and encouraging breastfeeding from birth – starting in the hospital. Tradition Medical Center, St. Lucie Medical Center and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center are all taking steps to become “Baby Friendly” hospitals.
In order to achieve the designation, each hospital has to complete 10 steps, which include providing policies and training to staff, providing information and support to new mothers, and not offering formula unless medically indicated.
Jorda said the community as a whole needs to support breastfeeding moms. “It’s really nationwide,” she said of the need for encouragement.
“Go to other countries and it’s the norm,” Gabriel added. “For some reason, it’s different here.”
The Department of Health also provides training to law enforcement for sudden unexpected infant deaths and has hosted an HIV perinatal (pre-birth) symposium for healthcare professionals.
The law enforcement training is meant to serve as another way to determine what went wrong and what could be implemented to prevent another infant death.
The medical training was to help professionals mitigate the risks of delivering a baby to an HIV mom.
“As a community, if we work together and bring awareness to the lives lost, we will become stronger to keep our babies healthier and thriving, thus making our communities healthier and stronger,” said Clint Sperber, county health officer for the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie.
