Prevention of Infant Mortality Assignment

1. What is the definition of Infant Mortality? Is when an infant dies before they turn one year old.
2. What is the definition of the Infant Mortality Rate? Is the number of infant deaths that occur in every 1000 live births.
3. What are the major areas of risk factors involved in Infant Mortality?
   1. Defects from birth
   2. Low birth weight and premature babies
   3. Complications with pregnancy
   4. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
   5. Accidents that cause injury
4. How can Infant Mortality be prevented? Based on all the information I’ve read, it looks like the best ways to prevent Infant Mortality are through education and support. Education prior to conception by teaching health risks based on the mother’s health situation. Education during pregnancy by teaching the effects of the mother’s nutrition and lifestyle on the health of the fetus. Education after the baby is born by teaching mother’s about nutrition, accident prevention, and proper sleeping environments. Support by helping mothers who don’t have the means for proper nutrition and health maintenance during the pregnancy. Support for mothers who don’t have the proper means to maintain nutrition and health maintenance for the baby after birth.
5. Within the United States:
   1. List the most recent Infant Mortality Rate for Tennessee you can locate. Source? 2018 – Infant Mortality Rate is 6.9 deaths per thousand – Source - https://www.tn.gov/health/news/2019/11/4/tennessee-sees-fewer-infant-deaths-in-2018.html
   2. Where does Tennessee rank in the U.S.? Tennessee ranks 42 out of 50 for 2018. – Source - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/infant_mortality_rates/infant_mortality.htm
   3. What state has the highest IMR? Mississippi with 8.3 deaths per thousand. – Source - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/infant_mortality_rates/infant_mortality.htm
   4. What state has the lowest IMR? New Hampshire with 3.6 deaths per thousand. – Source - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/infant_mortality_rates/infant_mortality.htm

6. Counties within Tennessee:
   1.  List the three counties with the lowest infant mortality rates in Tennessee.

The three counties in Tennessee in 2018 with the lowest infant mortality rates are:

1. Williamson County with 0.9 deaths per thousand live births
2. Gibson County with 1.7 deaths per thousand live births
3. Putnam County with 2.3 deaths per thousand live births

2. List the three counties with the highest infant mortality rates in Tennessee.

The three counties in Tennessee in 2017 with the highest infant mortality rates are:

1. Polk County with 18.4 deaths per thousand live births
2. Lauderdale County with 17.7 deaths per thousand live births
3. Franklin County with 17.4 deaths per thousand live births

Source for both - https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/vital-statistics/death/2018/TN%20Infant%20Mortality%20Rates%20-%202018.pdf - 2018

7. What is Tennessee doing about infant mortality rates? Locate information about 2 programs or services that are being implemented in Tennessee to combat infant mortality. There’s no one answer for this question; your answer will depend on your research and source you use.

• Safe Sleep Saves Lives
• Partnering for Prevention
  • Source - https://www.tn.gov/health/news/2019/11/4/tennessee-sees-fewer-infant-deaths-in-2018.html - 2018

8. How could infant mortality and/or the information above (rates, locations, risk factors, prevention, intervention, etc) be a factor in your personal major area/career? (No right or wrong answer, use your critical thinking skills to answer this question! The answer is not only about the child that passes & the parents. You must think of the broad aspect of Infant Mortality for this question)

Because I am a nurse, I can be affected in many ways by Infant Mortality. I might be involved in an emergency situation trying to save an infant who ultimately dies from has suffered some sort of injury from an accident or is having complications health problems from a birth defect, premature birth, or low birth weight. On the other end of the spectrum, I might also be involved in educating new parents on the risks of Infant Mortality and ways to lessen those risks.

9. Were you surprised by any of this research – such as the infant mortality rates in TN, the counties, where TN ranks in the U.S., etc? Why/why not.

I am not surprised that Tennessee rates so poorly in infant mortality. In comparing the maps for infant mortality and for teen pregnancy rates in the United States, the states marked with the highest for both are almost identical, leading one to believe that maturity of the parents might prevent many of the issues that lead to infant death. Teenage girls also have a higher instance of infant mortality because they are more likely, possibly due to the young age of their own bodies, to have babies born with low birth weight, which is a factor that contributes to infant mortality.

Sources –

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm#rates

https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/reproductive-health-and-teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-and-childbearing/trends/index.html

References

Rathus, Spencer A. (2020). HDEV6: Human Lifespan Development. Vol. 6, Cengage, 46 & 56.

Information obtained from the following websites:

www.bettertennessee.com

www.tn.gov

www.cdc.gov

www.hhs.gov