September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month! Infant mortality is the death of a baby during the first year of life. In 2013, Florida had an infant mortality rate of 6.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Black and other nonwhite infants die at twice the rate as white babies (10 deaths per 1,000 vs. 4.6 deaths per 1,000).
Leading causes of death in Florida include birth defects, prematurity and low birthweight, and unintentional injuries.
Home visiting and other family support programs play an important role in promoting healthy births by assisting women in obtaining prenatal care and educating mothers on risk factors. They also work with women to improve their health between pregnancies and to space their pregnancies. Florida MIECHV-funded sites work collaboratively with state and federal Healthy Start programs in their communities to link families with needed services and support. Find out what you can do to have a healthy pregnancy here.