NYT: In Turnabout, Infant Deaths Climb in South

[ProSense]

In Turnabout, Infant Deaths Climb in South

Janice Johnson, a social worker, is seated at left next to Eunice Brown. Ms. Brown’s mother stands at right.

By ERIK ECKHOLM
Published: April 22, 2007

HOLLANDALE, Miss. — For decades, Mississippi and neighboring states with large black populations and expanses of enduring poverty made steady progress in reducing infant death. But, in what health experts call an ominous portent, progress has stalled and in recent years the death rate has risen in Mississippi and several other states.

The setbacks have raised questions about the impact of cuts in welfare and Medicaid and of poor access to doctors, and, many doctors say, the growing epidemics of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among potential mothers, some of whom tip the scales here at 300 to 400 pounds.

<...>

To the shock of Mississippi officials, who in 2004 had seen the infant mortality rate — defined as deaths by the age of 1 year per thousand live births — fall to 9.7, the rate jumped sharply in 2005, to 11.4. The national average in 2003, the last year for which data have been compiled, was 6.9. Smaller rises also occurred in 2005 in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee. Louisiana and South Carolina saw rises in 2004 and have not yet reported on 2005.

<...>

Most striking, here and throughout the country, is the large racial disparity. In Mississippi, infant deaths among blacks rose to 17 per thousand births in 2005 from 14.2 per thousand in 2004, while those among whites rose to 6.6 per thousand from 6.1. (The national average in 2003 was 5.7 for whites and 14.0 for blacks.)

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[Pirate Smile]

1. I know Republicans just love Haley Barbour. He is such a good old boy.

"Poverty has climbed in Mississippi in recent years, and things are tougher in other ways for poor women, with cuts in cash welfare and changes in the medical safety net.

In 2004, Gov. Haley Barbour came to office promising not to raise taxes and to cut Medicaid. Face-to-face meetings were required for annual re-enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP, the children’s health insurance program; locations and hours for enrollment changed, and documentation requirements became more stringent.

As a result, the number of non-elderly people, mainly children, covered by the Medicaid and CHIP programs declined by 54,000 in the 2005 and 2006 fiscal years. According to the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program in Jackson, some eligible pregnant women were deterred by the new procedures from enrolling.

One former Medicaid official, Maria Morris, who resigned last year as head of an office that informed the public about eligibility, said that under the Barbour administration, her program was severely curtailed.
“The philosophy was to reduce the rolls and our activities were contrary to that policy,” she said. "

[ProSense]

2. Kick! n/t

[aikoaiko]

3. Too many people see this trend as a solution not a problem.

Sadly.

[eShirl]

4. it's that compassionate conservative, pro-life philosophy. n/t

[Straight Shooter]

5. I knew before I even clicked the link that it referred to blacks and lack of proper care.

But it's sooo much more important to spend money on activities that will line the pockets of the war profiteers. :sarcasm:

edit to add, so that no one takes my post the wrong way, I knew because they're always the first to suffer, the last to be helped.

[kath]

6. Hey, this is the greatest country in the world!

Repeat after me - This is the greatest country in the world.
This is the greatest country in the world.
This is the greatest country in the world.
This is the...

Wake up every morning and praise Jeebus that you were not born in some god-awful place like FRANCE. Or worse yet, one of those pinko Commie Scandinavian countries.

[FloridaJudy]

7. About that "culture of life", George

It seems you only apply it to patients in chronic vegetative states, fetuses, and stem cells. When it comes to helping people poor women and their children, hurricane survivors and injured vets, well we need the money to siphon off to Halliburton...

This sort of crap just drives me crazy! Gives me an overwhelming urge to fling all my belongings in my car and drive to the nearest Buddhist monastery that accepts women. We're rapidly turning into a third world country, and most of the public is too busy watching Reality TV and chatting on their cells phones to notice.

God help us one and all.

[intheflow]

8. We have no money for poor children's health care!

We have casinos and condos to build on the Coast! THAT will stimulate the economy which will boost the economy so that healthcare can trickle down to the undeserving masses at some undetermined time in the future... :grr:

[Telly Savalas]

9. So why isn't there a bill sitting on Bush's desk which addresses this?

[JNelson6563]

10. Very tragic

This is one cold hearted nation we live in.

Julie