Infant Mortality

Rickeya Robinson left home one day last April to pick up her older kids and bring them back to the house. But when they returned, an ambulance was sitting out front: Ms. Robinson's 2-month-old infant son Zy'key, whom she had left in the house with her brother, had suddenly stopped breathing. Paramedics were unable to revive the child. Sudden infant death syndrome is the second-biggest killer of children under 1 year old in Baltimore. Only disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight take a greater toll.

Maryland, one of the wealthiest states in the nation, ranks only 24th in the well-being of its children, according to the latest Kids Count report. That's a notch below last year and a drop of five places in two years, pointing to a continuing, shameful gap and a need to reorder state priorities. This year's look at the condition of children by the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that, nationally, the rates of child deaths, teen births, high school dropouts, teenagers who were not in school and not working, infant mortality and teen deaths have all shown some improvement since 2000.

CONSIDERING ITS relative wealth, Maryland continues to do a lousy job of raising its children. Other states have more children living in poverty, yet Maryland fares worse in key areas of child welfare.It would be easier to celebrate the good news -- better prenatal care, lower infant mortality and fewer teens dying violently -- if Maryland did not have such a long way to go. In the Annie E. Casey Foundation's latest "Kids Count" survey last year, Maryland ranked 32nd in child welfare, although three-fifths of the states had a higher percentage of children living in poverty.

Officials at all levels of government are taking aim at one of the longest-standing, most ingrained problems in the U.S. health system: the gap between blacks and whites.From meetings of frustrated local doctors to a five-year, $400 million federal initiative, agencies are studying numbers, trying possible solutions and wrestling with why African- Americans carry such a heavy burden of illness and death.The evidence is damning. African-American babies are dying at more than twice the rate of white infants.

'Kids Count' report shows state is making gains in child welfareThe release of the annual "Kids Count" report indicates that Gov. Parris N. Glendening's focus on implementing a comprehensive, collaborative and holistic approach to addressing children, youth and family issues is on target.In the past three years, both the infant mortality and teen birth rate have dropped steadily. In 1996, the Maryland Commission on Infant Mortality Prevention appointed a panel to study racial disparities in infant mortality, and its recommendations are being disseminated to state health professionals and community organizations.

JACKSONVILLE -- The county zoning commissioner has given final approval to a 21-house development on a former Christmas tree farm near Manor Road and Jarrettsville Pike.Commissioner Lawrence E. Schmidt, who gave conditional approval to the Locksley Conserve project in October, said he was satisfied that the storm-water management plan submitted by developer Barbara Andrews would protect two trout streams in the area.Opponents said the development plan was better than one originally submitted, but they worried the storm-water system would not be adequately monitored and maintained.

Worried by a sharp increase in infant mortality in the Baltimore area, state health officials are reviewing the deaths of babies who suffered from congenital anomalies, infections and heart disease.The 18 percent jump in deaths from 1996 to 1997 runs against the trend in the past several years, in which infant mortality rates in the city, the state and the nation have dropped. While physicians know the medical reasons for the deaths, they want to determine the circumstances and what medical care was provided.

CHICAGO -- For years, corporations have been encouraged to get involved in the cities' minority neighborhoods because it's the right thing to do.Now there's a new message: Do it or you're missing important niche markets in the fiercely competitive new global economy.The message seems to be taking. Ameritech, the Midwest's husky telecommunications company, noticed how hot prepaid long distance cards are in Mexico and is starting to market them heavily in Hispanic Chicago neighborhoods.Allstate Insurance has a Neighborhood Partnership model of working with low- to moderate-income neighborhoods to fix hazards and talk candidly with homeowners about deficiencies.

IMAGINE MEDICAL researchers pinpointing a dozen drugs that might show promise in fighting cancer. They devise a test in which Mne drug produces tantalizing results. Would the headlines read: ''Anti-cancer tests fail''?Not likely. But that is what has happened in a bizarre turn of events involving the leak of a preliminary evaluation of a federal effort to reduce infant mortality and low birth-weight babies.''Top federal officials have barred researchers from releasing a report indicating that the government's most ambitious and expensive effort to reduce infant mortality may not be achieving its goal,'' said the Philadelphia Inquirer in a Nov. 12 story.

WASHINGTON -- Americans are living longer than ever, the infant death rate has reached an all-time low and the percentage of teen-agers giving birth has declined for the fifth straight year, with the drop among black teen-agers nearly double the decline among whites.An analysis of the nation's vital statistics released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that AIDS, once the leading cause of death among people ages 25 to 44, is now the second-leading cause in that group, just behind accidents and directly ahead of cancer.

Baltimore officials say they will not use federal stimulus funds for a rally to raise awareness of infant mortality after determining such spending would not be appropriate. Officials are seeking private donations for the event. The decision came after The Baltimore Sun reported that the city planned to spend $17,828.50 in federal money on food and party rentals for a "Fit Family Festival & Rally for Healthy Babies" scheduled for Saturday in Clifton Park. The party, sponsored by the city health department, is expected to cost a total of $40,000, and all of those funds were to have come from the city's share of stimulus grants.

Baltimore's Board of Estimates approved Wednesday spending $17,828.50 in federal stimulus money toward food and party rentals at a rally promoting prenatal health, according to city officials. Mayor Sheila Dixon is to speak at the event, scheduled for Sept. 26 at Clifton Park, according to the Board of Estimates agenda. It is being organized by the city's health department to "raise awareness" about infant mortality in the city and will include "villages" where attendees can receive information about staying healthy while pregnant, financial planning, mental health, nutrition and how to care for an infant, according to the agenda.

This summer, Gov. Martin O'Malley asked the public for suggestions about how to make budget cuts during this time of austerity. Citizens responded with thousands of suggestions, for which they deserve praise. But many of these suggestions also showed little understanding of how citizens can benefit from robust and efficient government services. Maryland needs to better inform its citizens about the many benefits its government provides. Even after the economy improves, Maryland will still face large budget deficits.

Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the union as measured by per capita income, yet its infant mortality rate - the number of babies who die in the first year of life per thousand live births - is shockingly high, comparable to those in many developing nations. The state's overall rate of nearly 8 deaths per thousand is higher than those of all of the European Union countries as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and Cuba. In Baltimore, where the problem is most severe, infants die at a rate of 11.3 per thousand, higher than in Uruguay and Ukraine.

Baltimore's aggressive plan to reduce an infant mortality rate exceeding that of many developing countries is a long-overdue response to a health crisis the city has struggled with for years. At 11.3 deaths per 1,000 births, the city's rate is nearly 1 1/2 times that of the state; among African-Americans, the rate is twice as high in some neighborhoods. And despite previous efforts to attack the problem on multiple fronts, Baltimore's high death rates have remained depressingly constant over the years.

Acknowledging that infants in Baltimore are dying at an "alarming" rate, city officials will outline plans Wednesday to prevent premature births, low birth-weight babies and deaths from unsafe sleeping habits by offering intensive services in targeted neighborhoods. "These are babies we should be able to save," said Jackie Duval-Harvey, a deputy health commissioner. The goal is to make sure that all new and expectant parents in 12 chosen neighborhoods get a wide variety of services, including health care before birth and home visits after, and the promotion of breast feeding, as well as education about safe sleeping habits.

Developing a strategy on infant mortality The Baltimore Sun's call for action to improve birth outcomes in the city is on the mark ("Where's the urgency?" editorial, Jan. 26). Today, those who feel the urgency work on the front lines - including community health nurses, outreach workers from Healthy Start and other agencies, and obstetric and pediatric caregivers. But improving birth outcomes requires the attention of a much broader group of partners - indeed, of our whole community. And as important as urgency is strategy.

Rickeya Robinson left home one day last April to pick up her older kids and bring them back to the house. But when they returned, an ambulance was sitting out front: Ms. Robinson's 2-month-old infant son Zy'key, whom she had left in the house with her brother, had suddenly stopped breathing. Paramedics were unable to revive the child. Sudden infant death syndrome is the second-biggest killer of children under 1 year old in Baltimore. Only disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight take a greater toll.

State still struggles with infant mortality Frank D. Roylance's article "CDC reports a sudden uptick in births, along with some troubling medical details" (Jan. 18) does point out "some worrisome changes in recent childbirth patterns across the nation." However, the idea that "Maryland women generally scored as well as or better than the national average" may give Maryland health care providers and state legislators an ill-founded sense of complacency. In 2007, 112 babies in Baltimore died before their first birthday.

At 19, Gloria Carr learned she was three months pregnant during a walk-in exam at Maryland General Hospital. Because she lacked health insurance and hadn't seen a doctor in more than a year, a social worker signed her up for free medical care at an East Baltimore clinic where a midwife nurse practitioner could monitor her progress. A few weeks later, the midwife sent Ms. Carr to another hospital for a sonogram. There, she was shocked to learn that she was carrying twins. Yet the midwife assured Ms. Carr that she was fine.