Wisconsin infant deaths, racial disparities significant: DHS
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Health Services released two new reports on birth outcomes that show alarming racial disparities among infant mortality rates.
The Wisconsin Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR) reports analyze the factors that contribute to inequalities in fetal and infant mortality to help focus public health prevention efforts.
"I personally have been in the room when families have had to learn that their baby has died and is not coming home, I personally attended funerals of multiple babies," said Dr. Jasmine Zapata, DHS epidemiologist for maternal and child health.
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While the idea of losing a newborn is unimaginable to many mothers, for some it is an unfortunate reality.
"Even if there is still one baby that dies and doesn’t survive, when we walk about infant mortality, it’s more than just statistics. These are real lives and real families," Zapata said. "One life gone, is too many."
Data from the DHS Maternal and Infant Mortality Prevention Unit show Wisconsin’s overall infant mortality rate, which represents the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births, was 5.7 for 2019-2021. However, the data continues to show troubling disparities, with non-Hispanic Black infants three times more likely to die before their first birthdays than non-Hispanic white infants. During those same years, the infant mortality rate for American Indian or Alaska Native infants was 1.5 times the rate for non-Hispanic white infants.
"Oppressive systems carry the blame for many of these inequities, not the individuals," said Zapata. The doctor believes understanding that is the first step. "There are many populations that face stressful events, like food insecurity and housing insecurity, and even the stress over a lifetime of racism."
All those factors, along with a lack of equal care, cause the disparities in infant death.
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"To create change is to elevate the voices of those most impacted," Zapata said.
"We really need to continue to shift our focus on, ‘What are ways we can combat systemic racism?'"
The report also said it is crucial for health care providers to address racial bias to give equitable care.
More from the reports
The PPOR reports describe factors contributing to infant mortality inequities impacting non-Hispanic Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native communities in Wisconsin. The results found two key areas of focus to reduce inequities: low birthweight and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), a term used to describe the death of an infant less than 365 days old in which the cause of death is not clear before investigation.
Wisconsin residents experiencing these higher infant mortality rates are those most likely to be impacted by access to care, lack of reproductive autonomy and chronic stress related to things like poverty, food and housing insecurity, and racism. These factors play a role in low birthweight and SUID by not only impacting how the body functions, but also creating barriers to resources that can reduce the likelihood of these outcomes.
Learn more about Wisconsin’s maternal and infant mortality prevention efforts.