Infant mortality on the rise

 

By Mia Dragone 

Skyhawk View Staff Reporter  

 

 

The U.S. recorded 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022. This is a 3% increase from 2021 and it is an increase that people can try and help slow down. Melissa Bardsley is an expert on infant mortality rates and labor and delivery. Bardsley is a Labor and delivery clinical instructor, and she has been for the last 25 years. She went to nursing school and got her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at the University of Missouri and then got her master's in nursing with an emphasis on education at Aspen University school of nursing in Denver, Colorado, after getting her master's degree, she started as a labor and delivery nurse in Kansas City and then became a travel nurse. As a travel nurse, she worked in places like San Diego, California, Boston, Massachusetts, Austin, Texas, Huna-lulu, Hawaii, and more. She then settled down at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts before being offered her dream job at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.  

 The CDC defines Infant mortality rate as “the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. In addition to giving us key information about maternal and infant health, the infant mortality rate is an important marker of the overall health of a society” and it is a rate that has increased 3% within the last year according to the CDC. Risk is a huge factor when it comes to infant mortality. A lot of risk comes from not having access to a doctor and prenatal care.  

“When a patient comes in with no knowledge and no resources it can affect the risk of infant mortality because they aren't able to advocate for themselves,” said Bardsley.  

There was research done by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC, on the increase in the infant mortality rate and the factors that play into it. They did research on institute activities and advances, Research on Birth Defects and Genetic Conditions, preterm birth, sudden infant death syndrome, and infection. Research showed that “The total number of infant deaths for 2022 was 20,538. This was a 3% increase over 2021 which had 19,928 infant deaths.” and it is still rising.  

A mother who also happens to be a labor and delivery nurse has experienced infant loss in her own life and talked about her experience with infant mortality and how it affected her. The mother has lost six of her own babies in her life; two losses were before her first child was born. She now has three healthy children.  

“I have had my own babies die. I have delivered dead babies. It is life changing and horrific. It is something taboo to talk about but happens every day” says the mother. 

Medical interventions are now in play with the issues around infant mortality. One of the things that they are finding now is team birth, it is a program or a birth model. The patient becomes part of the team during birth. There is a lack of informed consent between doctors and patients, and Bardsley believes it is an issue being worked on with team birth.  

There was a negative impact on medical interference with doctors. When a patient is not as educated, they cannot advocate for themselves to get the appropriate help they need, and it is the doctor's job to give you an unbiased opinion.  

Maternal health is extremely important. Bardsley talked about how If a mother experiences hypertension, postpartum hemorrhage, maternal mental health, domestic violence, substance use, etc. She is immediately put at risk for infant mortality.  

Another beneficial factor according to Bardsley is having a doula. A doula is a “trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to their client before, during, and shortly after childbirth to help them achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.” Doulas has a positive impact on the mother's mental health and well-being, making sure that she is getting the best care possible without causing any stress to her or the baby, which then helps avoid any risk of infant mortality during birth.  

There are cases though where you cannot avoid any risks for infant mortality. Referring to Boston Childrens Hospital Sudden Infant Death Syndrome also known as SIDS is “the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old” A diagnosis of SIDS is made if the baby’s death remains unexplained even after a death scene investigation, an autopsy, and a review of the clinical history.  

The actual cause of SIDS is still unknown but not overlooked.  

At the hospital, most data are collected on paper regarding the birth. But data that gets put into a computer and sent out is the baby’s APGAR score. The APGAR score is about the baby’s breathing.  

“You do the test at 1 minute of life and then again at 5 minutes of life, all the data gets collected and the low APGAR score gets sent,” says Bardsley  

 The APGAR score describes the condition of the newborn infant immediately after birth and checks a baby's heart rate, muscle tone, and other signs to see if extra medical care or emergency care is needed. 

You might think, how can I help with the problem? Although most people cannot help the issue hands-on, they can still use their voices and minds. You can spread awareness on infant mortality and implicit bias. You can be the voice for the voiceless. A mother always knows the best for her baby and if the mother cannot speak up for herself, she should have someone on her birthing staff who can be her voice. There are ways you can educate yourself and others on how to prevent more infant losses. 

 “Know better and do better,” says Bardsley. 

Despite being a difficult subject to discuss, infant mortality is a daily concern for many. In light of the numerous known and unidentified factors contributing to these devastating deaths, communities can take steps to reduce the increase by educating themselves and empowering women to speak up for their children and themselves. Know better, do better and stop the rise.