Healthy Start Launches Black Babies Are Dying Campaign
Additional Information
For Immediate Release
Contact: Charlene Tarver, Tarver Consulting Group
Charlene Tarver Email: ctarver@charlenetarver.com
South Phoenix Healthy Start launches Infant Mortality Awareness Campaign—Black Babies Are Dying!
According to 2017 statistics, more than 230,000 babies die in the United States each year before their first birthday. With a variance in mortality rates state by state and county by county, the only fact the data overwhelmingly confirms is that the highest infant mortality rates in the nation are amongst African American babies.
“Black babies are dying, but it’s not for the reasons you think. Doctors have determined that there are a number of factors that contribute to high Black baby deaths— Factors ranging from lack of prenatal care, poor diet and nutrition, domestic violence, SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), cigarette smoke, and toxic stress. Yes! Stress is a huge factor in the overall health and condition of the mother and father’s bodies prior to conception, and will definitely have an impact on the pre and post health of the newborn.” – Meloney Bety, Executive Director, South Phoenix Healthy Start
Across the United States, Black infants are dying at rates that are more than twice those of white infants in cities like Phoenix, to six times as high in San Francisco, and more than ten times that of white babies in Washington, DC’s Ward 8, which is over 93% Black and the poorest in the City.
“The data shows that Black infant deaths are occurring across socio-economic, educational, and geographic lines. That means our babies are dying in single parent poor homes and affluent two parent homes alike. Once upon a time we believed that infant mortality was a health issue affecting poor, uneducated Black teens and single mothers. Medical research is now showing that poverty is a factor, but race and discrimination is an even larger factor in African American women having low birth weight, pre term babies.” –Charlene Tarver, president of The Women’s Economic Institute and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Phoenix Metropolitan Chapter.
Infant mortality has multiple factors that all play into baby surviving to celebrate the first year (and beyond), but it all starts with reducing toxic stress long before conception….
In July 2018 South Phoenix Healthy Start launched the Black Babies Are Dying Campaign to improve the health and mortality rates of Black women and babies statewide through pre-pregnancy and pregnancy healthcare, education, and access to services, resources, and family planning information.
The Black Babies Are Dying Campaign includes a community baby shower on August 25th and the 2018 South Phoenix Family Fest on September 22, 2018. Both events will be held at South Mountain Park
For more information on infant mortality or to receive quality prenatal health care, resources, and support services for you or someone you love visit healthystartphoenix.org, call 602-372-1166, or friend/follow South Phoenix Healthy Start at:
Facebook- South Phoenix Healthy Start @sphs;
Instagram- Sphxhealthystart
Twitter- SphxHealthyStart @SPHXHS
To find out more about the August 25th Community Baby Shower contact Angelica at Ebony House, Inc aali@ebonyhouseinc.org or 602-796-1886. And for more info on the 2018 South Phoenix Family Fest contact Charlene at the Tarver Consulting Group at 480-771-5605 or ctarver@charlenetarver.com.
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