Infant Mortality
Bipartisan sponsors, advocates: Support Ohio bill improving pregnancy, housing, infant services
The state’s operating budget is showing progress in the areas of infant supports, including a housing pilot program to benefit pregnant people and even doula services, but a bipartisan duo in the Ohio House wants to do better. State Reps. Andrea White, R-Kettering, and Latyna Humphrey, D-Columbus, joined with advocacy groups on Tuesday to talk […]
Ohio House Reps, Senators reintroduce bipartisan doula services bill
Bipartisan bills will be coming to both the Ohio House and Senate to help birth doulas receive the Medicaid support they need and improve maternal and infant outcomes in the state. “It’s bipartisan and bicameral, and it has always been that way,” said Erica Crawley, former state representative and now current Franklin County Commissioner, at […]
Study: Infant mortality racial gaps persist in Ohio over last decade
A new study shows persisting infant mortality gaps in Ohio’s minority population that demand more than just health care intervention. A report by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio for the last decade showed infant mortality has gradually gone down overall, but for Black Ohioans, the rate is still 164% higher than for white Ohioans. […]
Is big split between rich and poor making us all poorer? Maybe
It seems as if income inequality would slow the economy. But in a recent survey a big portion of a panel of Ohio economists said… that depends. In the survey of 26 Ohio economists released Monday, 14 agreed that rising inequality in Ohio is slowing economic growth, four disagreed and eight said they were unsure. By […]
Study: Child poverty, family stability see major impacts during pandemic
A new study shows the coronavirus pandemic erased gains against child poverty and family stability, among other indicators of child wellbeing in the state. Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio’s annual “kids count” profile used 16 wellbeing categories in the areas of health care, safety, homes and communities, finance and education, which leaders of CDF say show areas […]
Advocates: Increases in infant health, reductions in youth prisons should be budget priorities
Advocates are looking to the Ohio Senate to prioritize child welfare issues, such as infant health, child care and reducing youth incarceration as they work toward passage of the state operating budget. Members of child welfare organizations across the state are encouraged by continued investments in local support programs addressing poverty and child care that […]
Fighting infant mortality: Racism top of the pile for Black family struggles
The Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus took a direct look at racism as the prime factor for the state’s infants and mothers struggling to stay alive, particularly in Black communities. In a recent meeting of the caucus, legislators laid out priorities for the current General Assembly, some of which are included in bills already under consideration […]
Minority Strike Force Town Halls: Infant mortality, underlying conditions at heart of disparity issues
Medical professionals and minority advocacy groups came together last week to give their input on recommendations from the state’s coronavirus Minority Strike Force. In three days of town hall meetings, strike force subcommittee members were advised on how to address multiple aspects of the minority community’s daily life that can contribute to health disparities. The […]
State data: Black babies more than 2.5 times likely to die before first birthday than whites
In 2018, 938 Ohio babies died before their first birthday. Forty percent of them didn’t make it a day. Black babies died at a rate between 2.5 to three times more frequently than white babies. These are just some of the findings from the Ohio Department of Health’s 2018 Infant Mortality Annual Report. There are […]