title: Maternal mental health and infant mortality for healthy-weight infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine if severe mental illness and/or a history of substance use in mothers of babies of a healthy weight was associated with infant mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional observational study using CareSource historical billed Medicaid Managed Care plan (MMC) claims in Ohio.
  
  
  METHODS
  CareSource is Ohio's largest MMCP, serving approximately 1.2 million Medicaid consumers. Claims from 89,159 babies of a healthy weight (≥ 2500 grams) and their mothers were selected from the CareSource Ohio MMCP population from January 2011 through December 2014. The mental health and substance abuse status of the mother was identified from claim history. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio for infant mortality based on the presence or absence of maternal severe mental illness (MSMI) or maternal substance abuse (MSU).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The logistic regression model fit showed that the odds of infant mortality for infants born weighing 2500 grams or more was significantly higher when the mother was treated either for MSMI (χ2(1): P = .026) or MSU (χ2(1): P = .006) at any time before or after delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings indicate that to address infant mortality, a focus on only babies born premature or low birth weight will result in missing a notable segment of the population that requires attention. Mothers who have babies with a healthy weight of at least 2500 grams, but who are diagnosed with either MSMI or MSU, need at least equal attention if inroads are to be made in reducing infant mortality.
authors.affiliation: Clinical, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, 543 West 10th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210. E-mail: white.2@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gladden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D000068097:Maternal Health; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008603:Mental Health; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009820:Ohio; D018570:Risk Assessment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D014481:United States