Healthy Start Annual Symposium discusses Black infant and maternal mortality

Rob Taylor Jr., Courier Staff Writer

In 2015, the infant mortality rate in America for Whites was 4.8 per 1,000 live births.

For African American infants, the mortality rate was 11.7—more than double its White counterparts.

At Healthy Start’s 15th Annual Symposium, held May 21 at The University Club in Oakland, the message from CEO Jada Shirriel was clear: “We need to move (infant mortality) from a private tragedy to a public health crisis.”

Losing a child during the childbirth process or within the first 12 months after birth is considered infant mortality by definition. It’s a situation that most mothers don’t want to talk about, Shirriel said. “It’s hurtful…but we need to elevate this conversation so that we can look at why it’s happening.”

Healthy Start Inc. is a federal program dedicated to reducing disparities in maternal and infant health status in high-risk communities. It supports women before, during and after pregnancy by addressing the health and social service needs of the mother, strengthening family resilience, and engaging community partners to enhance systems of care.

Healthy Start Pittsburgh, located at 400 Lexington Ave. in Point Breeze, has been in existence for over 25 years. Shirriel told the New Pittsburgh Courier her staff constantly seeks out local mothers to enter the program. “We focus on specific things like prenatal care, breastfeeding, smoking cessation, (a mother’s) mental health such as postpartum ….

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