Conference Abstract Compendium Examples from the ... - CityMatCH

2009 CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership ConferenceBirth Equity Initiative: Eliminating the disparity in infant mortality in BostonPRIMARY CONTACT:Audra Robertson, MD, MPHClinical Director, Birth Equity InitiativeCenter for Community Health and HealthEquityBrigham & Women's Hospital75 Francis, ASB I-3-073Boston, MA, 02115Phone: (617) 525-9344Fax: (617) 975-0966Email: arobertson@partners.orgCATEGORYInfant mortality and morbidityRacial and ethnic health disparitiesFOCUSData FocusCO-PRESENTER(S)/AUTHOR(S):Swapnil Maniar, smaniar1@partners.org(Presenter)Tavinder Phull, tkphull@partners.org (Presenter)Maisha Douyon Cover, mdouyon@partners.org(Presenter)BACKGROUNDTrends in mortality and birth weight among black and white infants continue to indicate a racial disparity.Massachusetts data report 4.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for white infants and 11.1 deaths per 1,000 livebirths for black infants in 2006. 2006 Boston data report an infant mortality rate of 3.6 per 1,000 livebirths for white infants and 13.2 for black infants, a disparity persistent for decades. In response to thiscritical issue, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Community Health and Health Equitycreated the Birth Equity Initiative: Eliminating the Disparity in Infant Mortality in Boston.OBJECTIVESTo identify the root causes of the excess infant deaths among African Americans and to identify modelsof practice to reduce the racial disparity.METHODSData from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, andthe Boston Public Health Commission were analyzed to identify the racial disparity. A structured reviewof the literature was conducted to evaluate the research defining the root causes of the excess infant deathsamong African American women. A review of reports from state agencies, national institutes, andphilanthropic organizations as well as interviews with researchers and health policy experts wereconducted to identify models of described best or promising practices to reduce the infant mortality gapbetween black and white infants, targeting the etiology of the disparity. Those that addressed maternalpsychosocial stress, social determinants of health, and measures to improve healthcare quality for thispopulation were selected.111