Infant and fetal mortality — a problem New Haven tackled with success 15 years ago — has been going back up and is now higher than in any other major Connecticut city.
This information, available from the Department of Public Health, was discussed at a meeting Thursday of the local chapter of a group called FIMR (for Fetal and Infant Mortality Rates). New Haven State Rep. Patricia Dillon, pictured, called the numbers an “embarrassment.”
In 2001 the rate of fetal and infant mortality deaths in New Haven was 14.9 per thousand. In 2002 it was 16.9, in 2003 it was 21.6, and in 2004 it was 26.9. Information on 2005 and 2006 was unavailable.
The news is especially sobering because New Haven launched a community-wide effort in the late 1980s that greatly reduced what at the time had been the state’s highest rate of infant mortality. The effort — led jointly by City Hall and the New Haven Foundation (now called the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, which continues to run programs aimed at the problem) had an especially dramatic impact on the black community. The number of infant deaths among every 1,000 black babies has dropped from a stunning 31 to 15. (Click here to read more about that.)
Brian Karsif, pictured, a doctor who coordinates the New Haven FIMR chapter, which has lobbied the state for more money to fight infant mortality, said the numbers reflected that New Haven has been doing worse with infant and fetal deaths. He also said the data must be analyzed further in order to be fully understood.
“This is a presentation of ‘Yikes we have a problem,’ ” he said. “Without going into a discussion of ‘Why?’ “
Dillon said it “looked like a trend.”
Pam Hansen, a member of FIMR, suggested tabling the rest of the items on the agenda so as to focus on a discussion about what to do with the statistics presented. Karsif disagreed, saying he needs more time to analyze the data and look at specific factors, such as age and ethnicity.
“I don’t have any answers as to why this data says this,” he said.
Dillon reminded the group about the FIMR funding battle that is currently taking place in the state legislature. Click here and scroll down to the May 13 entry to read the background.
She said she “criticized the executive branch [governor’s office] about the lack of commitment” but also said it came back “promising good faith.”
Some said they were unsure if FIMR would get the needed funding. Maria Damiani, who oversees women’s health programs for the city government, said, “If we have money, we go one way. If we don’t we find an alternate way.”
Click here to read testimony in favor of increased state funding this past session.
Mary Alice Lee, pictured, from Connecticut Voices for Children, presented information to describe prenatal care and birth outcomes for Connecticut mothers with Medicaid coverage (HUSKY A and fee-for-service). Her data showed, that from 2000 to 2005 a quarter of the births in Connecticut were to HUSKY mothers and in 2005; 60 percent of births in New Haven were to HUSKY mothers. The detailed report is available here.
The next step is for FIMR to do more with the data and then connect with other FIMR chapters across the state.
Hansen said she’d like a “real investigation about births.”
It is my hope that Pat Dillon considers New Haven's high school drop out rate and the amount the city spends on incarcerating people just as embarrassing.
The lack of appropriate health care and infant mortality may be a serious issue.
But what about those who are still alive and kicking?