Evie's Desk: Infant Mortality Awareness MonthSeptember 15, 2008 |
Printer-friendly version |
 It is often said that people in the United States pay more for health care than those in any other nation, but Americans rank far below many other nationalities in terms of how truly healthy we are. This is most apparent in infant mortality. The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that 40 other countries have a lower infant mortality rate than the U.S. How can this be? Does being American-born actually threaten a baby's chance for survival? Yes - and because of this it is imperative that we make serious efforts to reduce infant mortality and raise awareness about the fact that our babies may not be getting the best care. First 5 LA has several initiatives that are either directly or indirectly aimed at reducing infant mortality rates, including the LA Best Babies Network and Best Start LA, one of our newest investments that's just beginning to roll out. September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month and I encourage you to learn more about what you can do to help reduce infant death. The National Healthy Start Association has created an excellent tool kit available on-line with materials you can print out and distribute. Click here to download. Also, I have listed below several links to learn more about America's infant mortality.
Evelyn V. Martinez |
|
