Infant Mortality Resolution Unanimously Passes House of Representatives

“I was spurred to introduce this resolution by the devastating rate of infant mortality in the Ninth District. It is a tragedy that African-American babies in Shelby County die at three times the nation's infant mortality rate.. We must do more to make sure that women have the prenatal care they need to deliver healthy children – and that starts by improving access to health clinics and recruiting the best and brightest medical students to be inner city doctors,” Congressman Cohen said.

In Memphis, Tennessee, the infant mortality rate is three times higher than that of the United States (higher than any other city in the country), and the 2005 infant mortality rate in the 38108 zip code of Memphis was deadlier for babies than that of the countries of Vietnam, Iran, and El Salvador with 31 deaths per 1,000 live births, 5 times that of the 2005 national average of 6.86 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The infant mortality rate of a nation is a prime indicator of that nation's overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that the United States ranked 29th in the world in infant mortality in 2004, falling from 12th in 1960. There are more than 28,000 deaths to children under 1 year of age each year in the United States.

“The United States amazingly enough ranks 29th in the world in the incidents of infant mortality. That is a shocking figure, and while there are a lot of reasons for infant mortality the lack of access to quality, affordable and comprehensive health care is a part of the problem,” Congressman Cohen said. “This month is infant mortality awareness month so I'm proud that we're considering this important resolution today. Passage of this resolution is the first step to supporting efforts to address this important public health and to better understand the racial disparities that persist in infant mortality.”

Adequate prenatal care has a positive effect on the health of the baby, and is one of the most important interventions for ensuring the health of pregnant women and their infants. In fact, babies born to mothers who received no prenatal care are three times more likely to be born at low birth weight, and five times more likely to die, than those whose mothers received prenatal care, as stated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Last week, Congressman Cohen joined with Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton, and members of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health to officially kick-off National Infant Mortality Awareness Month at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

As part of the event, Tonya Lewis Lee, director Spike Lee’s wife, unveiled a film that was shot this summer in Memphis on the subject of infant mortality called "Crisis in the Crib ."