Dispelling The Myths: Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Infant Mortality And Low Birth Weight
MYTH: Being an African American does not increase the risks of infant death and low birth weight.
FACT: The infant death rate for African Americans in South Carolina (16.1 deaths per 1,000 live births) is over twice that of whites (6.4 deaths per 1,000 live births). The percent of African American babies born with low birth weight (14.8) is twice that of whites (7.2).
SC Maternal and Child Health Data Book, 2001
MYTH: Infant mortality is higher in African Americans because so many African American teenagers are giving birth.
FACT: African American mothers in every age category have a greater risk of losing their babies then white mothers of similar ages.
Hahn RA, Teutsch SM, et al, "The prevalence of risk factors among women in the United States by race and age, 1992-1994: opportunities for primary and secondary prevention." Journal of American Medical Women's Association (JAMWA); 53(2):96-104,107.
MYTH: Black infant mortality is high because too many African American mothers are single.
FACT: African Americans have higher rates of infant mortality than whites, regardless of the marital status of the mothers.
Liberman E, "Low birth weight - not a black-and-white issue" New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) :332(2):117-118.
MYTH: Black infant mortality is high because too many African American mothers are uneducated.
FACT: Racial disparities exist at higher rates among college-educated African American women than college-educated white women.
Lieberman E, "Low birth weight - not a black-and-white issue" NEJM:332(2):117-118.
MYTH: It's genetic. Black infant mortality is high because of genetic differences between African American and whites.
FACT: There is no genetic component of the racial and ethnic disparities. Infants of foreign-born black women do not experience high rates of infant mortality and low birth weight.
Comelius LJ. "Barriers to medical care for white, black and hispanic children." Journal of the National Medical Association; 1993, 85:281-288.
MYTH: Black infant mortality is high because too many black mothers do not receive adequate prenatal care.
FACT: Early and adequate prenatal care is not enough. The care must include interventions that reduce psychosocial problems, socioeconomic factors, stress and the impact of oppression.
Kogan MD, et al. "The changing pattern of prenatal care utilization in the United States. 1961-1995, using different prenatal care indices" Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA); May 27 1998; 279(2):1623-1628.
Source: Racial Disparity Task Force For Infant Health * Capital Area Healthy Start Coalition * 2110 South Adams Street, Suite B * Tallahassee, FL 32301