Louisiana ranks second-highest in the nation for infant mortality. According to the 2009 Kids Count Data Book on Louisiana's Children, 47.5 percent of these deaths relate to conditions originating in the perinatal period. Of these, 39.7 percent result from preterm births and fetal malnutrition. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) accounts for 10.7 percent of the state's infant deaths.

 

To address these preventable conditions, the Maternal, Child and Health Department within the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals' Office of Public Health just launched two campaigns: The Partners for Healthy Babies Prenatal Care Campaign and the SIDS Risk Reduction and Safe Sleep Program. These programs are designed to increase public awareness of these pressing problems through a massive media campaign including public service announcements, billboards, bus banners and the worldwide web. Both campaigns officially kicked off on July 5.

 

Partners for Healthy Babies is a statewide public health initiative to increase awareness about the importance of prenatal care. "By making women knowledgeable about resources that are available so that they can link the care, we can decrease the rates in the number of women who enter care late, or not at all during pregnancy," explained Dr. Robert T. Maupin, Jr., an obstetrician who serves as the maternity program medical director for the state's maternal/child health program.

 

Overall, Louisiana has made significant strides in prenatal care usage. But, according to the latest vital records data, about 13 percent of the state's new moms do not access care early in pregnancy. "The primary concern is that we know that there are a number of important benefits when there's an opportunity for women to link to care early," Maupin observed. "Through early screening for various health conditions and other potential complications which can arise in pregnancy, we would have a greater opportunity to intervene and provide resources. And so, the major emphasis of this campaign is to use a variety of media-related resources to insure that women are aware of where they can get services."

 

Included in the campaign is information about a 24-hour toll-free hotline, 1-800-251-BABY (2229), for accessing a live operator who will identify the resources and services available to women in their communities. Moms-to-be can also access a website link, www.1800251BABY.org., for prenatal care information. The initiative is targeted toward all expectant mothers statewide, regardless of socioeconomic status. All information is provided at no cost. "In essence, this will provide a renewed focus on the fact that we strongly advocate early care, and that the benefits of early care translate into healthier pregnancy outcomes," Maupin explained.

 

Partners for Healthy Babies' primary goal is to increase participation rates in early prenatal care. Another aim is to strongly encourage consistency in care. "That's critically important, but our foremost goal is to increase the overall rates of early entry into prenatal care," Maupin said, "because if we get good rates of entry into care in the first trimester, then that ultimately can translate to significant improvements in birth outcomes."

 

Also launched on July 5 by the Maternal and Child Health Program was the Give Your Baby Space public awareness campaign. This promotion focuses on creating safe infant sleep environments to reduce accidental suffocation risks. In Louisiana, accidental suffocation is the leading cause of all injury-related deaths of infants 1 month to 12 months of age.

 

"We definitely have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country," observed Dr. Gina Payton Lagarde, MD, MBA, pediatrician and Louisiana Child Health Medical Director of the Maternal and Child Health Program. "In looking at why infants die, accidental suffocation is the fourth leading cause of death in infants less than 12 months of age. And, almost all of those deaths are preventable."

 

Driven by this data, the Louisiana SIDS Risk Reduction and Safe Sleep Program managed by the Maternal and Child Health Program developed the Give Your Baby Space campaign. The campaign name, Give Your Baby Space, reflects its recommendation to always place an infant back to sleep alone in its own crib. This public awareness project targets all infant caregivers in the markets of New Orleans, Lafayette, Alexandria and neighboring parishes. "There is no definable cause of SIDS," Lagarde noted. "It's that mystery death, and oftentimes, it's hard for people to wrap their minds around a mystery death. But, we know the risks associated with unsafe sleep environments, with suffocation being one of the main causes of death. This campaign is trying to really emphasize that those deaths are preventable, and is educating families on ways to prevent them."

 

Through the website address www.GiveYourBabySpace.com, consumers will be directed to a web page where they can obtain recommendations for preventing accidental infant suffocation and a link to resources for mothers and caregivers. These include the "a-b-c-s" of preventing accidental suffocation.

 

The ultimate goal of Give Your Baby Space is to prevent needless infant deaths from accidental suffocation. "We know that, in general, there are things that are harder to prevent with regard to infant mortality," Lagarde observed. "But, unsafe sleep environments, and in particular, risks of suffocation, are so preventable. There are simple ways to prevent babies from dying. And, we can make a difference."