An Equal Chance at an Equal Start
Poverty, ethnicity and education all influence the significant infant health disparities that exist in the U.S. Helping all babies reach year one means addressing these among other critical social determinants of health. This article describes three specific ideas for improving health equity in your state or community.
Ideas for Reducing
Early Birth Rates
Ten percent of babies born in the U.S. are born prematurely, placing them at higher risk for health problems and complications. Wondering how to improve? Consider the following:
- Support screenings that identify risk factors for preterm birth
- Provide training to enhance patient, family and community engagement
- Improve access to progesterone, which can help alleviate premature births
- Advance education about the risks of nonmedical early elective delivery
Looking for more ideas? Open our Infant Mortality Prevention Toolkit, click pre- and early-term births, and dive into case studies and evidence-based strategies to get you started.
