This essay examines infant mortality in the United States, beginning with a definition from the CDC and an overview of current mortality statistics. It argues that infant death is driven less by inadequate medical technology than by environmental, social, and behavioral factors including low birth weight, premature birth, and parental health habits. Drawing on international examples such as Thailand's successful "30 Baht" healthcare program, the essay evaluates the limitations of purely clinical approaches and advocates instead for community-based interventions, preventative health education, and a redirection of existing political energy — particularly within the pro-life movement — toward supporting infant welfare beyond birth.
In today's world, with the massive amount of resources available to humanity, it is a wonder why infant mortality remains a problem. The healthcare system has made improvements in this area, but there are still issues that lack clarity. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate the need for free basic health insurance for newborn babies to prevent illness and suffering. This essay will first summarize the problem before offering solutions on how best to address it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines infant mortality as "the death of an infant before his or her first birthday." In this first year of life, the child is especially vulnerable to the threats of his or her environment, and the risk of an infant dying is particularly strong. Through medical and social evolution, infant mortality has generally declined over time, but continued efforts are still needed.
There is an infant mortality problem evident within our society today. According to Matthews et al. (2013), "the U.S. infant mortality rate was 6.14 infants per 1,000 live births in 2010, 4% lower than the rate of 6.39 in 2009. The number of infant deaths was 24,572 in 2010." These results suggest that infants are dying at a declining but still significant pace, and it is reasonable to assume that many infant mortality deaths are underreported.
Infant mortality is a complex issue that does not yield easy solutions. Since the infant's well-being depends so much on the parents of that child, healthcare approaches are limited in their ability to influence such problems. Chapman (2009) agreed with this assessment when he wrote, "like life expectancy, infant mortality is a function of many factors. The more you look at the problem, the less it seems to be correctable by a big new federal role in medical insurance — and, in fact, the less it seems to be mainly a medical issue at all."
The influence of culture suggests that individual behavior may be behind many of these deaths. Obese and unhealthy mothers routinely put their children at risk due to poor concepts of health and healthcare. The issue becomes mostly a battle of will and behavior rather than a question of applying new healthcare instruments.
"Environmental, family, and technological influences"
Technology has allowed very small and premature infants to survive longer and has partially remedied the problem, yet the number of infant deaths remains significant in the broader context of society. The problem of infant mortality has many different political and social dimensions that the medical industry must understand in order to provide the best and most appropriate treatment.
The nature of this problem suggests that no single solution exists that can address it wholesale. The more locally that infant mortality is addressed, the more success any intervention is likely to achieve. The root causes of the problem must be addressed first. Since society and environment play such a large role in how this problem develops, local regions and communities must confront it at their own level.
There has been considerable success using this approach. Dizikes (2014) documented how healthcare plans can be used in concert with the right political and social tools. This example of success took place in Thailand, where he wrote: "The researchers found that Thailand's '30 Baht' program, which increased access to hospitals, led to a 13% drop in infant mortality in about a year. That change seems largely attributable to fewer infant deaths in rural areas, where previously the poor might never have entered hospitals to seek care."
Thailand is not the United States, however, and while access to healthcare may be necessary, the social issues that surround the causes of infant mortality and low birth weight are unique to American society. Healthcare access must be high quality and must serve the best interests of both the infant and the family. The approach to administering healthcare must be carefully evaluated, rather than simply applying a "more is better" philosophy.
Services are usually offered in very rural and poor communities, but services alone do not prevent infant deaths. The solution involves engaging those who need healthcare in their own treatment. The medical community and society as a whole largely fail in promoting preventative health programs. Instead, surgeries and quick-fix prescriptions substitute for the necessary work of changing the behavior patterns that lead to negative health outcomes.
The answer to this problem is partly political and requires redirecting existing energy toward more constructive ends. The pro-life political movement is strong in many areas of the country where infant mortality is more problematic. Pro-life attitudes should be extended beyond the moment of birth. The energy and money spent urging the protection of the fetus should extend into infancy as well. This approach requires a strong political force to instill this new ideal and would require significant time before its benefits become apparent.
Solutions must come from the local community if they are to be useful or practical. Morman (2011) wrote: "Community health workers, who are local women from the neighborhoods in which they serve, can reach patients in a way that traditional medical personnel cannot. Health is really not just about getting access to care. It's not just about healthcare delivery — going to the doctor and seeing the doctor. Rather, it's about creating conditions that will allow people to live healthy lives. So unless we address the social milieu in which people live, we really cannot expect good health outcomes."
The rate of infant mortality can certainly be reduced with the right approach. Healthcare workers need to understand that this problem is much more environmental and social than it is clinical. The infant mortality rate may never reach zero, but it should always be approaching that standard when preventative health measures and strong social ideals are instilled into the community at large.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Public health approaches to reducing U.S. infant mortality. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6231a3.htm
Chapman, S. (2009). Health care and infant mortality: The real story. Creators.com.
Dizikes, P. (2014). How a health care plan quickly lowered infant mortality. MIT News, 30 April 2014. Retrieved from http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/how-health-care-plan-quickly-lowered-infant-mortality-0430
Morman, E. (2011). Infant mortality in Detroit: Finding solutions. Metro Parent, October 2011. Retrieved from
You’re 91% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.