Our Problem Of Infant Mortality
Infant mortality is a large problem in Humphreys County. In 1969 thirty percent of babies born that year died before the end of the first year of their lives. That is almost one child in three. Many babies die as a result of infectious disease, cardiac and respiratory diseases. Many die as a result of complications of the placenta or as a result of complications of maternal problems. Some babies even die from accidents.
One of my concerns is that many of the young mothers fail to obtain prenatal care. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health report on Vital Statisitics in 1969 most mothers received prenatal care in some form; most even received care beginning in the first trimester, but many (some thirty-five percent) received prenatal care late in the course or had received no prenatal care at all.
This situation is grave. The reasons for this problem is unclear. No doubt some of the problem is due to finanacial reasons; some, I suspect is out of ignorance. Many mothers cannot afford to obtain adequate prenatal care. Either money or transportation is a problem. Some, however, probably feel that they do not need prenatal caare. Some of themothers of the newly pregnant probably delivered their babies without prenatal care.
There is, too, a component of fear and denial here, too. Many teenage mother are afraid to tell their mothers oor someone that they are pregnant and postpone seeking prenatal care until the pregnancy and delivery are undeniable.
Prenatal care is provided by the health department. Until recently, however, mothers desiring private obstetrical care were required to go to Indianola, Greenwood, Greenville, or Jackson for care. Now, Belzoni has acquired physician OB services.
Still there is the problem of teenage pregnancy. Many of the mothers are teenagers. Can these mothers adequately care for their babies emotional and social needs? Many mothers are undereducated. Will these mothers have enough skills to provide adequately for the child's food, clothing and shelter needs? Can these youn women handle the social forces and problems with which they will be faced entering the twenty-first century? And what about drugs-will these children become become victims of parents who choose drugs over their children's needs?
...and Humphreys County is not the only place that has high infant mortality. India, Ethiopia, Sub-Sahran Africa, South America, and Central America, all have the same problems. Time and again there are pleas to send moneh to feed the "Poor" and we have poor right here in Humphreys County.
What do the medical, educational, religious and public helath systems have to do to get more help for young mothers? Will lectures help? Home visits? Transportation services? Where is the money going to come from and is throwing money at the problem going to help it?
These are large and complex social issues-issues that must be faaced by the public and private sectors.
Maybe we should put a moratorium on Medicaid mothers having babies like we have put a moratorium on thinkyng and acting responsible. Maybe we could require teenage mothers to work fulltime in their first trimester....or maybe we should have free prenatal and OB services? Or maybe we could legalize teenage spading? If these "suggestions" sound ludicrous it is only that we recognize that teenage pregnancy is not just their problem; it is our problem as well. The poor girls having babies are not just Black. Many people would simpoly ignore Them. Let us face it many of the mothers are White.
The support for infant mortality must come from You. The next time your hear about your child's pregnancy it is time for you to pick up your phone, and not to gossip, but to make sure your child is not pregnant and if she is, to see to it that she get prenatal care-prenatal care here in Belzoni, not miles away-unless you don't mind driving your little girl 22 miles to take care of her baby. You should see to it that your grandchild can get care. it's time to drop the "I'm better than you" approach/ attitude that gets inbred in minds when we look the other way too much. Black babies and White babies get born the same way and they die the samae way.
Wake up, Mississippi. Move ahead and preserve the unborrn child's birthright to good health and a life Before long there may be...
c 1991 Cheryl L. Branche, M. D.
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