Infant Mortality - WTF?

[DGS49]

Leftists like to bad-mouth our beloved United States and its lack of a universal healthcare regime, using one statistic that they say typifies the whole miserable situation: Infant Mortality. (Average age at death is another one - subject of another thread, perhaps)

Civilized countries - those with national healthcare, have infant mortality rates in the mid-to-high fours, per thousand live births. The UK is 4, Canada is 4.2., and most of Europe is in the same neighborhood. The Gold Standard - Germany - is 2.7 or so.

But a closer look at the U.S. reveals dramatic differences among the "races."

Infant mortality rate in the U.S. by race/ethnicity | Statista

In both 2021 and 2022, the children of Black mothers in the United States had the highest infant mortality rate, at almost 11 deaths per 1,000 live births.

www.statista.com

For "white" people, the infant mortality rate is 4.6. Interestingly, for Hispanics, whose economic (and health insurance coverage) circumstances are comparable to American Blacks, the rate is 4.8. But for African Americans, it is a relative disaster at 10.75 - which drives the aggregate U.S. average up to unacceptable levels. One would think that the number of uninsured Blacks is very comparable to the rate for Hispanics; the number on Medicaid, and the number of conventionally insured (through employers) should also be comparable between Blacks and Hispanics.

These stats BEG the question, what the hell is going on with American Blacks? Is there something about Black culture that does not support pregnant women? Do pregnant Black women decline to seek prenatal checkups, etc.? Are pregnant Black women more likely to be the only adult in the household, thus losing the opportunities for in-house support - driving to doctor offices and so forth? Are Black women less likely to seek out medical support during pregnancy?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

 

[RodISHI]

Check out if they are giving those babies that hepB jab in their first 24hrs. It may give a clue.

 

[Muhammed]

I've noticed that many black women tend to ignore their babies when they are crying.

 

[Coyote]

I've noticed that many black women tend to ignore their babies when they are crying.

I doubt you know many black women.

 

[Otis Mayfield]

Poverty is the great destroyer.

 

[Coyote]

If “inquiring minds” REALLY want to know why there is a disparity…the data is right there … likely where the data for the OP was pulled.

The biggest reason infant mortality is preterm/low birth rate.

CDC: Infant Mortality Drifts Lower, but Racial Disparities Persist

Highest death rates were in babies born to non-Hispanic black mothers

www.medpagetoday.com

Certainly when we look at the rates of preterm birth, many of the infants that are born preterm are delivered preterm because of an underlying maternal health condition," Campbell told MedPage Today in an interview. "Issues related to many of these mothers, often minority mothers, having multiple chronic health conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, all increase the risk of complications in the pregnancy, as well as the risk to the infant."

This same group also has a higher than average maternal death rate.

Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Them | KFF

This brief provides an overview of racial disparities for selected measures of maternal and infant health, discusses the factors that drive these disparities, and gives an overview of recent efforts to address them.

www.kff.org

Birth Risks and Outcomes​

Black, AIAN, and NHOPI women are more likely to have certain birth risk factors that contribute to infant mortality and can have long-term consequences for the physical and cognitive health of children. Preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation) and low birthweight (defined as a baby born less than 5.5 pounds) are some of the leading causes for infant mortality. Not receiving pregnancy-related care until late in a pregnancy (defined as starting in the third trimester) or not receiving any pregnancy-related care at all can also increase risk of pregnancy complications since early and regular prenatal care is important for monitoring health, managing existing medical conditions, and sharing health information. Black, AIAN, and NHOPI women have higher shares of preterm births, low birthweight births, or births for which they received late or no prenatal care compared to White women (Figure 2). Notably, NHOPI women are five times more likely than White women to not begin receiving prenatal care until the third trimester or to no receive any prenatal care at all (20% vs. 4%). Hispanic women also are twice as likely compared to White women to have a birth with late or no prenatal care compared to White women (8% vs. 4%).

 

[miketx]

The baby mommas don't see the daddy much.

 

[DGS49]

So what explains the difference between Hispanics and Blacks? The poverty rate is approximately the same. The percentage on Medicaid, percentage with conventional insurance, are about the same.

What the fuck is NHOPI? Is that an Indian tribe?

 

[Juicin]

They're poor and don't take their babies to the doctor as often as they should. Or listen to their doctors

 

[Unkotare]

They're poor and don't take their babies to the doctor as often as they should. Or listen to their doctors

The root cause runs far deeper than that.