Author: Acceleration

Disparities drive infant mortality in Florida and the rest of the nation. In 2017, babies born to black and other nonwhite mothers in the state were more than twice as likely to die before their first birthdays. Until this gap is closed, Florida will continue to experience high infant death rates – many from preventable … Continue reading “September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month: Closing the Gap”

Although most babies who die before their first birthday perish soon after delivery, many of the infant deaths that occur later in the first year are the most preventable.  The largest contributor to post-neonatal mortality – deaths between 28 – 364 days – are sleep-related, including SIDS and unintentional deaths caused by unsafe sleep practices, … Continue reading “September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month: Why Babies Die & What We Can Do About It – Part 2”

Pre-term birth – babies born too soon and too small – is the leading cause of infant mortality in Florida and nationwide. It is the primary reason babies die in the first month of life. Deaths during this time – the neonatal period – account for more than two-thirds of all infant mortality. Babies born … Continue reading “September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month: Why Babies Die & What We Can Do About It – Part 1”

Healthy Start Coalitions will join with community partners around the state in September to raise awareness about infant mortality and strategies to improve the health and well-being of babies in the first year of life. Celebrate Day 366 is the theme of the nationwide observance, underscoring the importance of giving every baby a chance to start … Continue reading “September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month: Give Babies a Healthy Start!”

National Breastfeeding Month wraps up this week with an important focus on health disparities and breastfeeding’s potential contribution to closing the gap in both maternal and infant outcomes. Despite overall increases in breastfeeding rates for black and white infants over the last decade, racial disparities persist. Between 2011-2015 in Florida, 84% of white mothers initiated … Continue reading “Black Breastfeeding Week Focuses on Disparities”

Most (82.6 percent) babies born in Florida started out breastfeeding – but many stop earlier than recommended, according to the 2018 Breastfeeding Report Card released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Policy on Breastfeeding recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. While more than half (54 percent) … Continue reading “CDC 2018 Breastfeeding Report Card: Most FL Babies Start Breastfeeding but Duration Lags”

August is National Breastfeeding Month! The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is coordinating a social media advocacy and outreach campaign to build support for the policy and practice changes needed to build a “landscape of breastfeeding support.”  These activities build on the observation of World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), celebrated every year from August 1-7 to encourage … Continue reading “August is National Breastfeeding Month”

The national celebration of motherhood this weekend offers an important opportunity for calling attention to the health of mothers and the need to address disturbing trends in maternal mortality. According to the March for Moms, a coalition of health professionals, advocates and consumer groups, the U.S. is experiencing a rise in mothers dying during childbirth … Continue reading “Mother’s Day: Time to Strengthen Focus on Maternal Health”

The importance of community partnerships – and the role of Healthy Start Coalitions – in improving care for mothers and babies was highlighted at the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative (FPQC) held last week in Tampa. The meeting featured presentations on strategies for practitioners to reduce health disparities, engaging families and … Continue reading “Role of Healthy Start Coalitions, Community Partnerships Highlighted at FPQC Annual Meeting”

  Despite progress in several areas impacting maternal and child health, the proportion of babies born too small remains unchanged according to the 2018 Florida County Child Well-Being Index. The report, released today by Florida Kids Count, examines progress between 2011 and 2016 by the state and counties on 16 key indicators of child health … Continue reading “2018 Florida County Child Well-Being Index: No Improvement in Low Birthweight”