April is Minority Health Month

Governor Phil Bredesen has declared April as Minority Health Month in Tennessee. The Volunteer State has officially taken part in National Minority Health Month since 2004. This year, the federal Office of Minority Health has chosen “A Healthy Baby Begins with You” as the theme for its work during this health observance to raise awareness of preconception care and its importance in reducing infant mortality.

“While progress has been made with state-level funding and support, the statistics clearly indicate significant effort is still needed in the area of infant mortality,” said Governor Bredesen. “Tennessee is fully committed to improving these numbers, and this month provides an opportunity to educate more women and raise awareness of how important the health of the mother is to the health of our children.”

Minority Health Month helps raise awareness of health disparities and other health issues that largely impact minority populations. The observance is designed to address not only the needs of African-Americans, but also Hispanic, Asian-American and Native American communities in Tennessee.

“We know we have a significant health disparity in Tennessee in infant mortality, and we are working to address it through a number of programs and services for potential, expectant and new mothers,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “We want all Tennessee babies to be born healthy, and we want women to know there are steps they can take to help ensure good birth outcomes.”

Infant mortality refers to the death of a live-born infant at any point before the first year of life. Figures show Tennessee’s infant mortality rate exceeds the national rate, particularly for black infants. In 2004, the last year in which national data are available, the national infant mortality rate was 6.78 infants per 1,000 live births. Tennessee’s rate for that same year was 8.6 infants per 1,000 live births. While the rate for white Tennessee infants for 2004 was below the national rate at 6.4 infants per 1,000 live births, the rate for black Tennessee infants was 17.4 per 1,000 live births, more than twice the rate for white infants.

While Tennessee has improved, the most recent data show the disparity in infant mortality still exists. In 2006, Tennessee’s infant mortality rate was 8.7 per 1,000 live births. The mortality rate for white infants in Tennessee that year was 6.6 per 1,000, while the rate for black Tennessee infants was 16.8 per 1,000 live births, and was still more than double the rate for white infants.

“The death of an infant is a tragedy and a traumatic event for the family,” said Cherry L. Houston, PhD, MPH, RN, director of the Division of Minority Health and Health Disparities Elimination. “From a public health standpoint, infant mortality not only reflects the current health status of a population but also gives an indication of maternal
health, quality of care and access to care, socioeconomic conditions and public health
interventions.

The Department of Health reminds women that preparations for delivery of a healthy child should start long before the child is born. All women of childbearing age should take a daily multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid to prevent birth defects that may develop even before a woman knows she’s pregnant. Women who are planning a pregnancy should also get any existing health problems, such as obesity, asthma or diabetes, under control before conception.

Proper prenatal care is also essential to promoting a positive pregnancy outcome. All Tennessee health department clinics offer basic prenatal care services, which include pregnancy testing, education, presumptive eligibility and TennCare enrollment, referral for WIC, a federal nutrition program, and referral for obstetric medical management. Select counties across the state provide full obstetrical care for pregnant women. You may contact your local health department for more information.

The Department of Health also works to keep babies and their mothers healthy after delivery. Programs include Healthy Start, a nationally recognized, intensive home visiting program for first time parents; the Help Us Grow Successfully (HUGS) program to assist pregnant and postpartum women and children up to age six in gaining access to medical, social and educational services; and programs to assist children with special health care needs.

Learn more about the Department of Health’s services for women and children at http://health.state.tn.us/.

The Division of Minority Health and Health Disparities Elimination has compiled a comprehensive calendar of events planned for Minority Health Month. The list of events is available at http://health.state.tn.us/dmhde/mhcalendar.shtml.