KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - King County Executive Ron Sims joined with Public Health - Seattle & King County at this morning's King County Board of Health meeting to release updated report findings on infant mortality rates in King County.
The report, Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality: An Update King County, 1980-2002, shows that while the 2002 infant mortality rate in King County dropped to 4.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, a reduction of 56% since its peak 20 years ago, progress in infant death prevention has not been shared equally by all groups. African American and American Indian/Alaska Native infants are more than twice as likely to die in the first year of life than white infants.
The full text of the new report is available online.
"We continue to improve on our record low in infant mortality, and for that we should take pride in our efforts. However, a stubborn gap remains, as we aren"t seeing similar benefits for everyone," said Executive Sims. "It is simply unacceptable that such gaps in the health status of our residents remain."
"The death of an infant in the first year of life is, unquestionably, a tragedy for parents, families and friends," said King County Board of Health Chair Carolyn Edmonds. "Public Health and our community partners have done tremendous work in reducing overall infant mortality rates, but we need to continue and strengthen our community efforts to bridge the divide."
Following dramatic declines from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, infant mortality rates among African Americans and American Indian/Alaska Native in King County reached a plateau through the late 1990s, while rates for whites continued to gradually fall. Since 1999, infant mortality in African Americans has decreased, but a significant disparity remains. Infant death rates for Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders have been stable over the last ten years.
"Evidence locally and nationally suggest that racism and poverty play significant roles in sustaining persistent health disparities, including infant mortality," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. "These factors contribute to increased levels of stress, which in turn impacts health."
"Addressing these gaps requires a new level of community intervention," continued Plough. "We need to move beyond pregnancy support and address the factors influencing women's health before, during, and after pregnancy."
In local communities of color, work is being done now to identify community support for women to buffer the stress of racism and poverty. This is in addition to the work already supported by Public Health - Seattle & King County:
- Through the Infant Mortality Prevention Network, Public Health contracts with nine agencies that hire staff to provide outreach and education to women in high risk communities of color.
- Native American women from across the region meet monthly through the Native American Women's Dialog on Infant Mortality to discuss infant mortality, racism and ways to provide community support for Native American women.
- As a King County First Steps/Maternity Support Services provider, Public Health provides leadership for a network of providers who offer comprehensive, multi-disciplinary counseling and education for low-income pregnant women in King County.
As part of the expanded efforts, local community organizations are beginning to mobilize in addressing systems beyond health care, such as a recent community forum on housing and infant mortality. Stable housing is a critical component for supporting wellness and reducing stress.
King County is taking a lead role on the issue, and will serve as the regional coordinator and provide leadership to oversee and guide the implementation of the "Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in King County."
Infant mortality by region and economic status
The highest rates of infant mortality were found in south King County, at 6.2 deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality in south King County has remained flat while other regions of King County have seen declines. Recent data have confirmed that in south King County the population living below 200% of poverty has increased significantly over the last three decades, while the percent in Seattle has declined.
By income, the disparity in infant mortality rates between high and low poverty neighborhoods has continued over the last 15 years and currently is as large as it has been over that time period. For the period of 2000-2002, high poverty neighborhoods had an infant mortality rate that was 2.6 times that of low poverty neighborhoods. This is an average of 4-5 more deaths per 1,000 live births in the high poverty areas compared to the low poverty areas.
