A strategic framework for infant mortality reduction: implications for "Healthy Start".
The high infant mortality rate in the United States, especially in urban areas, remains a major federal concern. Four strategies for reducing infant mortality in cities participating in the federal ¿Healthy Start¿ are reducing high-risk pregnancies; reducing the incidence of low birthweight and preterm births; improving birthweight-specific survival; and reducing specific causes of post-neonatal mortality. Estimates of the impact of known interventions indicate that the reduction in infant mortality would be large for only one strategy: improving birthweight-specific survival. Most interventions yield a 2 percent reduction, or less, in mortality and when combined, would amount to about 30 percent. This strategic model provides a realistic framework to assess the impact of the Healthy Start demonstration and is useful in highlighting the interventions most likely to reduce infant mortality in a population.
D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006293:Health Promotion; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015397:Program Evaluation; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D019037:Urban Health Services