Introduction
Health professionals use different indicators to understand the problems affecting different communities and implement appropriate care delivery programs. Infant mortality is one of these tools used to understand the health status of a given nation. The information gained from surveillance processes is used to inform various programs for preventing diseases. This paper discusses the rate of infant mortality in the United States and Western New York (WNY). The discussion goes further to explore how infant mortality presents a unique form of health disparity in Western New York.
Analysis of the Health Disparity
Lewis, Cogburn, and Williams (2015) define “infant mortality” as the number of deaths occurring in babies before attaining the age of one year. This number is usually recorded in every one thousand live births. The US government has been committed to mitigating risk factors for increased infant mortality rates. In order to achieve these goals, the state has managed to improve the health of women during and after pregnancy. This is supported by using improved prenatal care and the implementation of powerful surveillance research. The coordination of health services in the state and across the country has led to improved outcomes.
It is agreeable that the rate of infant mortality in the United States is quite low. Unfortunately, some racial groups continue to record high infant mortality rates (Guerra-Reyes & Hamilton, 2017). This disparity has been attributed to a number of factors, such as lack of appropriate health systems in rural areas. In WNY, many rural regions do not have adequate neonatal health services. Surveillance and research programs have only been taken seriously in urban regions. Additionally, some minority groups, such as Latinos and African Americans in WNY have recorded increased infant mortality rates. The nature and occurrence of this disparity explain why evidence-based approaches would be needed to support all citizens equally.
Literature Review
The United States is one of the developed nations with broad disparities in infant outcomes and maternal care (Ruiz et al., 2015). Such disparities exist along racial lines. Minority communities and groups such as Latinos and African Americans do not have access to adequate maternal services (Lewis et al., 2015). This fact explains why race is a powerful indicator of the nature and quality of health services available to every citizen (Kothari et al., 2016). Similarly, studies have indicated clearly that many minority groups do not get adequate maternal, postnatal, and prenatal services in Western New York.
Haider (2014) goes further to indicate that the rates of infant mortality and preterm births in the country continue to expose the nature of disparities affecting the healthcare sector. Unfortunately, past studies have failed to analyze how the disparity affects different ethnic or racial groups. In WNY, disparities in maternal health have been catalyzed by a lack of adequate opportunities and economic empowerment (Ruiz et al., 2015). Consequently, underage mothers and women from minority races find it hard to get adequate maternal health services.
The absence of appropriate human development programs in rural regions has contributed to this kind of disparity (Anderson et al., 2018). Similarly, many rural regions in WNY lack appropriate programs that can empower different people to achieve their potential. Such gaps have resulted in family breakdowns and a lack of superior health services. Inequality has become a major problem due to the nature of race relations experienced in the country. Additionally, underserved regions and communities record poor infant mortality rates due to a lack of appropriate welfare programs. Individuals living in such neighborhoods face numerous challenges, such as inadequate health services. Haider (2014) believes strongly that such factors have contributed to unequal infant mortality rates in regions such as WNY.
Statistical Data
In 2012, WNY’s infant mortality rate stood at around 4.97/1,000 live births (Anderson et al., 2018). This was a decline of 16.6 percent within a period of ten years. It is agreeable that the Healthy People 2020’s goal has been to have a national infant mortality rate of 6/1,000 live births (Haider, 2014). This is a clear indication that the targeted region fulfills this objective. However, it should be observed that disparities in infant mortality are evident in WNY. For instance, the rate for African Americans in 2012 was 8.96/1,000 live births (Ruiz et al., 2015). Haider (2014) indicates that the infant mortality rate for whites during the same year stood at 3.7/1,000 while that of Latinos was 5.27/1,000 live births.
Over the years, infant mortality rates have declined by an average of 10 percent. The rate of decline among whites has been around 20 percent (Haider, 2014). This is a clear indication that minorities in the region have not been supported with appropriate strategies in an attempt to deal with this kind of disparity. Additionally, young women below the age of 20 have recorded high infant mortality rates in WNY. For example, the current rate stands at 6.5/1,000 live births for women aged below 20 (Haider, 2014). That of women between 20 and 40 years is around 4.8/1,000 live births.
Relevance to Nursing Care
The average infant mortality rate in WNY is below 5 deaths per 1,000 live births (Anderson et al., 2018). The region has implemented adequate initiatives and programs to ensure that the health of women is improved before pregnancy. This has also been the same case for prenatal care. Unfortunately, some underserved populations and minority groups record higher mortality rates (Anderson et al., 2018). This gap explains why nurses working with childbearing women should implement powerful initiatives and programs. Health practitioners can apply their skills and competencies in different health settings to address women’s health needs.
Nurses working in pediatric and maternity wards should use their skills to transform the situation. They can do so by coordinating their care delivery processes, engage in lifelong learning, and carry out evidence-based researches. These practices will make it easier for them to streamline their care delivery models. They will also meet the changing or diverse needs of underprivileged persons such as the homeless, orphans, and underage mothers. Such initiatives would also support the needs of every newborn child. This disparity is also a wakeup call for practitioners to put in place powerful strategies to monitor the causes of early childhood deaths and offer appropriate solutions (Guerra-Reyes & Hamilton, 2017). The ultimate goal of nursing should, therefore, be to promote safety and quality in prenatal care. By doing so, it will be easier for practitioners to meet the needs of underserved populations in WNY.
Conclusion
This discussion has revealed that most of the surveillance systems and care delivery processes targeting childbearing mothers in WNY have been applied disproportionately. The malpractice has resulted in different infant mortality rates for whites, young women, and minority groups. That being the case, it would be appropriate to implement powerful strategies to deal with this disparity and ensure that childbearing women in WNY have adequate, superior, and timely postnatal and prenatal health services.
References
Guerra-Reyes, L., & Hamilton, L. J. (2017). Racial disparities in birth care: Exploring the perceived role of African-American women providing midwifery care and birth support in the United States. Women and Birth, 30, e9-e16. Web.
Anderson, J. G., Rogers, E. E., Baer, R. J., Oltman, S. P., Paynter, R., Partridge, J. C., … Steurer, M. A. (2018). Racial and ethnic disparities in preterm infant mortality and severe morbidity: A population-based study. Neonatology, 113(1), 44-54. Web.
Haider, S. J. (2014). Racial and ethnic infant mortality gaps and socioeconomic status. Focus, 31(1), 18-20.
Ruiz, J. I., Nuhu, K., McDaniel, J. T., Popoff, F., Izcovich, A., & Criniti, J. M. (2015). Inequality as a powerful predictor of infant and maternal mortality around the world. PLOS One, 10(10), 1-12. Web.
Kothari, C. L., Paul, R., Dormitorio, B., Ospina, F., James, A., Lenz, D., … Wiley, J. (2016). The interplay of race, socioeconomic status and neighborhood residence upon birth outcomes in a high black infant mortality community. SSM – Population Health, 2, 859-867. Web.
Lewis, T. T., Cogburn, C. D., & Williams, D. R. (2015). Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: Scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues. Annual Review of Psychology, 11, 407-440. Web.