Premature and low-birth-weight babies continue to be born in Maryland at higher rates than the national average, and state health officials are taking steps to reverse the trend.
“Infant mortality remains a serious public health problem in Maryland,” said John Colmers, secretary of the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, speaking at the Babies Born Healthy forum Tuesday.
Maryland’s infant mortality rate, which is about 8 deaths per 1,000 births, is higher than the national average of about 6.8 per 1,000, and has remained unchanged for the past decade, he said.
Baltimore City’s rate is 11.3 deaths per 1,000 births.
Colmers called on health care professionals to “set ambitious goals” because “a comprehensive response is necessary.”
The state has made moves to address the problem, such as passing a law this past year that creates a committee to review cases and develop interventions to prevent mortality in pregnancy, childbirth and infancy.
Starting in January, Maryland will use a new, electronic system for collecting birth certificate information, replacing the antiquated paper-based process.
The new certificate will collect more detailed information, such as the mother’s body mass index, infections during pregnancy and the number of years the parents have lived in the United States.
“More detailed reporting will enhance our ability to track important indicators [and] provide good information needed to improve maternal and child health,” said Isabelle Horon, director of the state health department’s Vital Statistics Administration.
Health care providers also are broadening their focus from providing family planning care to concentrating on overall women’s health, said Leslie Graham, vice president of clinical services for Planned Parenthood of Maryland, speaking at the forum.
Women must be healthy before they become pregnant to better ensure a healthy child, she said.
Planned Parenthood officials are providing more health screenings and educational materials to improve a woman’s pre-conception health, she said.
Missing from the efforts to improve prenatal care is a keen focus on accountability, said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein. If more health care providers and community-based programs are held responsible for the outcomes, the state could reverse the trends, he said.
“Until people really are accountable,” he said, “I don’t think our best efforts will be successful.”
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