According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, infant mortality rates have dropped in Kentucky, bucking the national trends.
In the Commonwealth, the infant death rate fell six percent while the national average rose by three percent. This marks Kentucky as number 33 in the nation for infant mortality rates.
Dr. Connie White is the Deputy Commissioner for Clinical Affairs with the Kentucky Department for Public Health. She said in Kentucky, work is actively being done to find ways to prevent infant deaths, and that includes research into breastfeeding.
“We know that increases the healthy life expectancy of an infant. So, we’ve seen a small increase in our number of infants that were breast-fed,” she said. “We’ve seen a small increase in the number of pregnant patients who initiated prenatal care in that first trimester.”
Additionally, White said it is important that pregnant patients get into prenatal care early. That includes taking vitamins.
“Getting them on the folic acid. It sounds very mundane but that 400 micrograms of folic acid is critical to get those new patients on,” she said. “We have seen less low birth weights, and low birth weight is defined by us as less than 2500 grams. That’s about 5.5 pounds.”
White added it is also important that people get the right counseling throughout their pregnancy.
The number one cause of infant mortality is pre-term birth, followed by congenital anomalies and sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.