Campaign Aims To Reduce Indiana's Infant Mortality Rate

The Indiana Department of Health is launching a public awareness campaign aimed at its top health priority – reducing the state’s high rate of infant deaths.  

Indiana’s infant mortality rate is one of the 10 worst in the nation.  State Department of Health Commissioner William VanNess says the leading causes of infant death include perinatal issues such as pre-term birth and low birth weight, congenital issues, accidents, and assault and neglect.

Leading factors contributing to infant mortality include mothers who smoke – more than 16 percent of Hoosiers mothers smoke, including 30 percent of pregnant women on Medicaid.  VanNess says access to prenatal care is also a factor.

“Only 68 percent of pregnant mothers in Indiana receive prenatal care in the first trimester.  We know that’s important, especially in preventing congenital anomalies, when they need to make sure they’re on folic acid and all the right things they should be on in a prenatal period.”

An Indianapolis public relations firm did extensive focus group testing to develop a media campaign for the state to educate Hoosiers about the infant mortality crisis.  Deanna Haworth, senior vice president at Hirons and Company, says one of things testing revealed is that only a quarter of those surveyed were aware of the state’s infant mortality problem.

“One of the most arresting facts in the campaign is that one baby dies approximately every 13 hours in Indiana, so that fact really spoke to our focus group participants,” Haworth said.

The media campaign is expected to launch in November.