Tennessee Infant Mortality Info Graphic

BACKGROUND:   Over the past century the United States has made great strides in reducing the infant mortality rate.  However that rate has slowed in recent years.  A few States struggle to lower their rate more than others.  Tennessee is one of those States.  We are consistently ranked among the top ten States for having high infant mortality rates.  Not only do we have a high rate but we have a large disparity between non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks.  The total infant mortality rate for 2013 is 6.8, however when the rate is broken down by white non-Hispanic and black non-Hispanic it becomes 5.3 and 11.6 respectively.

METHODS:   To highlight the need for coordinated action in this area the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) decided to develop an info graphic depicting the infant mortality rate, as well as risk factors that contribute to the problem.  This was adapted from a report that Columbus Public Health in Columbus, OH developed.  The info graphic uses imagery to make a larger impact than numbers alone.  Each of the images is representative of a statistic.  This format is both eye-catching and efficient for delivering information quickly.  

RESULTS:   After a review of the literature it was decided information on pre-maturity, low-birth weight, maternal age, prenatal care utilization, and smoking during pregnancy would be included.  In order to provide timely information provisional birth and death records are used to create the report.   An updated report is published monthly on the TDH website to provide the most up to date information.

CONCLUSIONS:   We hope that by making this information available to the general public in an easy to understand format it will both raise awareness and garner support for interventions aimed at reducing infant mortality in Tennessee.  We want this information to encourage multi-disciplinary partnerships across the State to reduce the burden of and eliminate the racial disparity of this health problem.