The infant and fetal death rates in Cumberland and other counties in the Cape Fear region continue to remain higher than the state and national averages, a new study from a child advocacy organization shows.
The study, by NC Child, concludes that North Carolina needs to close its health insurance gap and find other strategies to reduce its “persistently high fetal and infant mortality rates.”
The state’s rate for infant mortality ranks 39th in the country, the study says.
“Poor birth outcomes are often tied to maternal health challenges pre- and post-conception, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and smoking,” Whitney Tucker, research director at NC Child, said in a statement. “These chronic conditions and risk factors can be addressed most effectively when women have access to health insurance.”
According to NC Child, nearly one in three women in North Carolina did not receive prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy.
“Without access to health insurance, it’s incredibly difficult to manage chronic conditions that can adversely impact birth outcomes,” Tucker said. “That’s why it’s critical for North Carolina policymakers to close the health insurance coverage gap.”
In 2016, the state recorded 818 fetal deaths and 873 infant deaths, statistics from NC Child show. From 2012 to 2016, the state’s annual rate of fetal deaths stood at 6.9 per 1,000 births, and its infant mortality rate was 7.2 per 1,000 live births. The rate was highest among black people.
Cumberland County’s rate of women of childbearing years without health insurance was 17.8 percent. Of the 10 counties in the Cape Fear region, only Moore had a lower uninsured rate than Cumberland. But Cumberland’s fetal and infant mortality rates were higher than the state as a whole. County health officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The primary causes of infant mortality are premature birth and low birth weight, which the study says are known to be influenced by gaps in insurance coverage and limited access to quality prenatal care.
“Newborns of mothers with no prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than children born to mothers who do receive prenatal care,” the study says.
The nonprofit organization is urging passage of “Carolina Cares,” a House bill that would expand insurance to all adults earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level.
“Whether it’s ‘Carolina Cares’ or a different bill, the legislature should act quickly to close the health insurance coverage gap and support healthy pregnancies and healthy babies,” Tucker said in the statement.
Staff writer Greg Barnes can be reached at gbarnes@fayobserver.com or 486-3525.