Thriving to Survive: A Case Study of Local Collaborative Efforts to Decrease Infant Mortality

Abstract

High overall infantmortality rates (IMRs) and racial disparities in IMR have persisted over time in Franklin County, Ohio compared with the rest of the nation. For a decade, collaborative approaches have been used to meet the needs of the community, focusing on the groups with the highest IMR. This collaborative approach has served as a model within the county and demonstrates how community partners can come together to address issues that significantly impact the health and well-being of children. In 2020, Nationwide Children's Hospital implemented the Pediatric Vital Sign initiative, which identifies 8 metrics of child health and wellbeing for all children in Franklin County (Columbus, Ohio) to target for improvement over a 10-year period. One of the 8 metrics seeks to reduce overall IMR to 5.9 deaths per 1000 live births and decrease racial disparities by 50% by 2030. Here, we detail the collaborative efforts over the last 10 years in Franklin County, Ohio to reduce infant deaths and the disparity. Efforts primarily focused on 3 areas of intervention: (1) eliminating preventable sleep-related deaths, (2) reducing the number of premature births, and (3) connecting birthing people with the needed resources via care coordination programs and home visiting initiatives.