The first year of a child's life is instrumental in determining the child's future health and well-being. The health of the mother plays a large role in the outcome of the child as well. Mothers who seek quality prenatal care and maintain good health throughout their pregnancies are less likely to have babies born with low birth weight. Infants with low birth weight have been shown to suffer from many complications that can sometimes lead to death.

African American infants have the highest risk for certain illnesses and deaths in their first year of life. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is the leading cause of death among infants who are one month to one year old. Studies have found that SIDS is both unpredictable and unpreventable; according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, African American infants are two times more likely to die from SIDS than white infants, and Native Americans are about three times more likely than whites.

Facts to consider:

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that low birth weight babies account for nearly two-thirds of the disparity in infant mortality between African Americans and whites.
• The majority of all low birth weight babies are born as a result of preterm delivery. The more premature the infant is, the more difficult medical treatment becomes.¹
• Excessive deaths among normal birth weight babies generally resulted from potentially preventable causes such as infections, injuries and SIDS, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• In 2000, 85 percent of whites received prenatal care in comparison to 69 percent of American Indians/Alaska Natives, and 74 percent of African Americans.²
• In 2001, the white infant mortality rate was 6.1 per 1,000 live births, while the black rate was 16.9 per 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate for infants of other races was 5.3 per 1,000 live births.³
• In Illinois in 1999, 17.4 percent of African American babies were born prematurely.⁴

¹ Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t970313a.html

² American Public Health Association (APHA)
http://www.apha.org/

³ Michigan Department of Community Health
http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/InDxMain/Infsum01.asp

⁴ Illinois Department of Public Health
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/press01/infant.htm