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For Immediate Release 09/03/08

September Proclaimed Infant Mortality Month

Contact: Sandy Moses, Lane County Healthy Babies, Healthy Communities coordinator, 682-3650

The Lane County Board of Commissioners has proclaimed September as local Infant Mortality month, helping raise awareness of local fetal-infant mortality rates and efforts to reverse the trend.

Lane County’s overall fetal-infant mortality rate is higher than the national average, the state, and the three larger Oregon counties by population (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington). Oregon state vital statistics for the five year period, 1999-2003 indicate that the overall fetal-infant mortality rate for Lane County is 9.5 compared to the nation at 9.3 and the state at 7.9.

Lane County’s Healthy Babies, Healthy Communities (HBHC) Initiative, hopes to reduce this trend. This coalition, representing a wide range of community partners, has identified strategies for investigating the causes, contributing factors and prevention and intervention activities. One of the critical programs that has been established is a Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR).

"The FIMR process is doing what Public Health ought to do: we find bad numbers, try to learn why, then do what needs to be done to make a difference," said Dr. Sarah Hendrickson, Lane County Public Health Officer. "We can make a workable, data-based plan that will preserve our county's babies and their health, and provide care and information that works for all our mothers and mothers-to-be."

In addition to FIMR, several priority areas have been selected which are known to make a difference, including pre-pregnancy health planning and education, reducing parental drug and alcohol use, and safe sleep practices.

The Healthy Babies, Healthy Communities coalition has taken steps to create a Safe Sleep Public Awareness campaign. The campaign, funded in part from grants from the CJ Foundation for SIDS and SELCO CommunityCredit Union, is geared toward helping parents practice safe sleeping tips for their infants.

Safe Sleep tips:

Safe Sleeping with your Baby
Sleeping with or near your baby is helpful for bonding, maintaining close contact and to aid in breastfeeding. You may choose to place their crib next or close to your bed and/or to share your bed with your baby.

However, do not sleep with your baby if you:

Smoke or drink alcohol

Take medications which could make you sleepy

Are very tired or do not wake up easily

Sleep on a soft surface like a waterbed or couch

Share your bed with other children or pets

Sleep in a bed that has a headboard, footboard, railings or is placed against a wall (Instead, place a firm mattress on the floor to prevent the baby from becoming trapped or falling).

To get involved in the Lane County Healthy Babies, Healthy Communities Initiative contact Sandy Moses at 682-3650. For more information visit www.lanecounty.org/prevention

Amber Fossen
Public Information Officer
Lane County Government
125 E. Eighth Ave.
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682.3718
(541) 359.9143 (cell)

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