Governor O'Malley, Lt. Governor Brown Announce Infant Mortality Rates in Maryland Show Downward Trends Over Last Decade; Small Increase in 2013

Press Release

Governor Martin O'Malley and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced today that the average infant mortality rate has been driven down by 15 percent in Maryland in the past decade, with a 20 percent decline in the average rate among white infants and a 14 percent decline among black infants. Both the neonatal mortality rate (deaths among infants younger than 28 days per 1,000 live births) and post neonatal mortality rate (deaths among infants between 28 days and 11 months old) have been driven down substantially, when comparing 2004-2008 to 2009-2013.

As a result of declines in infant mortality since 2007, 457 more babies in Maryland have survived.

"Our goal to reduce infant mortality is about more than just numbers -- its about creating common platforms to save more of our children," said Gov. O'Malley. "There is no such thing as a spare Marylander, and together, we will continue to build on this critical progress so we can support more Maryland families and protect young lives."

In 2013, Maryland's infant mortality rate was 6.6 per 1,000 live births, compared with a rate of 6.3 in 2012. The small increase, which followed several years of declines, reflects the year-to-year variability in infant mortality rates. A total of 473 infants died in 2013, compared with 458 in 2012. There was a 10 percent increase in deaths among white infants and a 2 percent increase among black infants. No single cause of death was responsible for the increase. The leading causes of infant death were low birth weight, congenital abnormalities, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and maternal complications of pregnancy.

"Ensuring that all of Maryland's children are safe is one of our most sacred responsibilities, and we remain committed to helping every child in our state have the same opportunity to live a healthy, productive life," said Lt. Gov. Brown. "Even one infant death is too many, and we must continue our efforts to get parents the resources, services, and education they need to ensure a brighter, healthier future for all of our children."

As part of 16 strategic goals to move Maryland forward, the O'Malley-Brown Administration set the goal of reducing the statewide infant mortality rate from the record low of 6.3 by another 10 percent by 2017. A second goal is to reduce the African-American infant mortality rate by 10 percent by 2017.

An example of significant improvement over the last decade can be found in Prince George's County. The overall infant mortality rate in the county fell from an average of 10.3 from 2004 to 2008 to an average of 8.7 from 2009 to 2013, a decline of more than 15%. Over the last year, the infant mortality rate fell from 8.6 percent in 2012 to 7.7 percent in 2013, For whites, the rate fell from 6.4 percent to 4.9 percent. For blacks, it fell from 9.3 percent to 8.4 percent.

"The progress in Prince George's County shows what is possible to accomplish for the health of families and children," said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Other new resources made available by the State include expanded health care access for young women and parents, health enterprise zones in challenged areas of the state, expanded access to family planning services, local public health efforts, and instruction in safe-sleep practices. The state's Babies Born Healthy Initiative added Comprehensive Women's Health services for women at risk, accelerated Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women, and added community-based "perinatal navigators" to help pregnant and postpartum women access services.

DHMH in 2013 banned the sale of crib bumper pads in Maryland, after receiving public and expert input that the risks of these products far exceeded any potential benefits for babies. In addition, the state has continued to distribute the B'More for Healthy Babies video on safe sleep at http://healthybabiesbaltimore.com.

To review the Department's newly released 2013 Infant Mortality Report, visit:
http://dhmh.maryland.gov/vsa/AnalyticsReports/2013.pdf.

Source