University of Wisconsin News: Wisconsin Partnership to join fight against silent tragedy
9 FEBRUARY 2009 | MADISON, WISCONSIN
9 FEBRUARY 2009 | MADISON, WISCONSIN - Earlier this decade, an African American baby born in Beloit, Kenosha, Milwaukee or Racine had worse odds for survival than a baby born in Jamaica, Sri Lanka or Central America.
In 2004, Wisconsin had the worst African American infant mortality rate of 35 states that reported deaths by race. That year, 125 African American babies died in the first year following their births, a rate of 19.2 deaths per 1,000 births. While the rate dropped in 2007, the most recent year for statistics, to 14.1 deaths for African American babies in Milwaukee, it still remains far above the death rate for white babies, 6.2 deaths per thousand. The most common factors contributing to the deaths of African American infants were premature birth and low birth weight.