MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) – A month after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase in infant mortality for the first time in 20 years, with Alabama’s rate above the national average, I took a closer look at the numbers for Mobile County – and they are shocking.

“The infant mortality rate in Mobile County was 8.4, the state rate was 6.7, and the national rate was 5.6,” said Dr. Michaels Kevin Michaels of the Mobile County Health Department. He explains that infant mortality represents the number of deaths among infants up to one year of age per 1,000 live births.

“It’s not good,” said Dr. Michaels. “Still. Yes, our numbers seem to be worse than the state’s.”

Dr Michaels highlighted the main causes of these figures, pointing out that around 40% of cases are due to congenital malformations, sudden infant death syndrome and problems related to a short pregnancy or low birth weight. Other factors include trauma during the first year of life, unintended pregnancies, the mother’s health before pregnancy and the quality of antenatal care.

Looking to the future, Dr. Michaels pointed to several upcoming programs aimed at improving maternal and child health in Mobile County.

“Sometime this fall we will have ‘All Kids,’ a government program that will provide comprehensive health care for all pregnant mothers,” Dr. Michaels said.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, ALL Kids is a low-cost, comprehensive health insurance plan for children under 19. Dr. Michaels also pointed to another valuable resource – the Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, program, which has been offered for 50 years to ensure children receive adequate nutrition.

The Mobile County Health Department also conducts a Fetal Infant Mortality Review program, in which a physician and obstetrician examine infant deaths and identify the root causes contributing to these tragic outcomes.

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