Government Documents for You

Evidence of Trends, Risk Factors, and Intervention Strategies: A Report from the Healthy Start National Evaluation 2006: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Infant Mortality. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 2008.
SUDOC: HE 20.9202:T 72

The rate of infant mortality in the United States declined by 74% from 1960 – 2000; however, there are racial/ethnic disparities in birth outcomes where there is a notably higher rate of infant mortality than other races/ethnicities. The groups with the highest rates of infant mortality (in descending order) are: Blacks, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and Puerto Ricans.

This report provides information about the national Healthy Start program and other perinatal health initiatives to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. The racial/ethnic disparities in birth outcomes are described and the evidence on behavioral, biological, and social risk factors for poor perinatal outcomes in the context of such racial/ethnic disparities is reviewed. The risk factors are: prenatal care, folic acid use, periodontal care, infant sleep position, breastfeeding, well-child care, interconceptional care, maternal smoking, alcohol and other drug use, adolescent pregnancy, perinatal depression, stress, bacterial vaginosis, domestic violence, and maternal birthweight. The findings from this study provide an evidence base for designing and evaluating initiatives such as Health Start that are intended to reduce or eliminate disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

Available on the Internet: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS99065

Other resources and information available at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau:
http://mchb.hrsa.gov/

**Information from Executive Summary.**