What's happening to Muncie's babies?
Justice Amick / December 1, 2018 1:30 p.m.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Intervention, or the CDC, infant mortality is defined as the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births.
As of 2016, the national infant mortality rate for the United States was 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, with the Midwest having some of the highest.
In Indiana, it’s 7.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. In Muncie, it’s eight deaths per 1,000 live births. This is two percent higher than the national average.
So why are so many babies dying in Muncie before they hit the age of one?
As of 2016, the national infant mortality rate for the United States was 5.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, with the Midwest having some of the highest.
In Indiana, it’s 7.5 deaths per 1,000 live births. In Muncie, it’s eight deaths per 1,000 live births. This is two percent higher than the national average.
So why are so many babies dying in Muncie before they hit the age of one?
Lori Thompson, community health ambassador at Open Door Health Services in Muncie, said it all comes down to one thing.
“The education isn’t there,” Thompson said. “I mean, looking back, in school and health class for us you might have a chapter on something that covered anatomy but that was a chapter they tried to skip over real quick because heaven forbid we should talk about sex education in school and we should talk about our bodies.”
Thompson said there are four other main reasons that high Infant Mortality, and low health in general, can be found in Muncie: drugs, tobacco, homelessness and lack of transportation.
Delaware County ranks in the bottom eight counties in overall health, 85th out of 92nd, according to the Robert Wood Foundation Program.
“You can go really grandiose with it,” said Brandi Farris, community health ambassador. “It could go back to ‘I missed that day in health class because I didn’t have a ride to school.’ So they didn’t hear about smoking and how it can affect a baby. They miss out, they go and continue with their lives, their whole family smokes and they don’t understand why that could be dangerous.”
Thompson and Farris are part of the WeCare Program, developed by Indiana University with the objective to reduce infant mortality in both Marion and Delaware Counties by partnering with community organizations to help support maternal and infant health. They currently have 26 sites in Indiana.
“Our basic purpose is to make sure that our moms here in the community have everything they could possibly need to ensure the safest environment for baby,” Farris said. “That could be a housing issue, a transportation issue, a health issue or smoking cessation.”
WeCare provides a variety of resources to expecting parents such as safe sleep practices, free pack and plays and car seat safety training.
One of the main programs offered is the Baby and Me Tobacco Free Program in which any mother who wants to quit smoking and stay nicotine free can participate. The program offers incentives for not smoking, equaling up to $350 worth of gift cards that can be used towards diapers and wipes. A fellow smoker in the household can also enroll and receive gift cards for not smoking.
Thompson says it’s very common for people to not understand what the point of such programs and classes are.
“A lot of times you’re going to get culturally, people will say, ‘Well my mom smoked and I lived,’ or the grandma will say, ‘Oh, I laid you on your belly and you did just fine,’” Farris said, chiming in. “That’s super-duper, but as time has passed we’ve learned what these things can cause and how dangerous it can be so it’s really important to make sure that people in the community are aware of it.”
Part of the WeCare program is an intake packet that asks all people enrolling basic questions on their current living situation, such as how many meals they have had to skip or if they are struggling to pay bills. Farris says these help indicate how well off or not someone is and can aid in getting them the resources they need.
“The education isn’t there,” Thompson said. “I mean, looking back, in school and health class for us you might have a chapter on something that covered anatomy but that was a chapter they tried to skip over real quick because heaven forbid we should talk about sex education in school and we should talk about our bodies.”
Thompson said there are four other main reasons that high Infant Mortality, and low health in general, can be found in Muncie: drugs, tobacco, homelessness and lack of transportation.
Delaware County ranks in the bottom eight counties in overall health, 85th out of 92nd, according to the Robert Wood Foundation Program.
“You can go really grandiose with it,” said Brandi Farris, community health ambassador. “It could go back to ‘I missed that day in health class because I didn’t have a ride to school.’ So they didn’t hear about smoking and how it can affect a baby. They miss out, they go and continue with their lives, their whole family smokes and they don’t understand why that could be dangerous.”
Thompson and Farris are part of the WeCare Program, developed by Indiana University with the objective to reduce infant mortality in both Marion and Delaware Counties by partnering with community organizations to help support maternal and infant health. They currently have 26 sites in Indiana.
“Our basic purpose is to make sure that our moms here in the community have everything they could possibly need to ensure the safest environment for baby,” Farris said. “That could be a housing issue, a transportation issue, a health issue or smoking cessation.”
WeCare provides a variety of resources to expecting parents such as safe sleep practices, free pack and plays and car seat safety training.
One of the main programs offered is the Baby and Me Tobacco Free Program in which any mother who wants to quit smoking and stay nicotine free can participate. The program offers incentives for not smoking, equaling up to $350 worth of gift cards that can be used towards diapers and wipes. A fellow smoker in the household can also enroll and receive gift cards for not smoking.
Thompson says it’s very common for people to not understand what the point of such programs and classes are.
“A lot of times you’re going to get culturally, people will say, ‘Well my mom smoked and I lived,’ or the grandma will say, ‘Oh, I laid you on your belly and you did just fine,’” Farris said, chiming in. “That’s super-duper, but as time has passed we’ve learned what these things can cause and how dangerous it can be so it’s really important to make sure that people in the community are aware of it.”
Part of the WeCare program is an intake packet that asks all people enrolling basic questions on their current living situation, such as how many meals they have had to skip or if they are struggling to pay bills. Farris says these help indicate how well off or not someone is and can aid in getting them the resources they need.
Thompson said all of the things they see can add up into “one great big circle” that involves all five factors that feed into the high infant mortality rate in Muncie.
“Homelessness has been a big issue for pregnant moms lately,” Thompson said. “We have a lot of moms who maybe dad isn’t in the picture, dad is locked up or there is no family support…Drugs are a big problem and I think that plays a big part in a lot of the issues that come through here.”
Farris agreed, saying those then connect to the other issues such as transportation causing women to miss appointments or not know what resources that are out there for them.
“The infant mortality rate here is very high but we also have a huge population of smoking mothers and a huge population of people who have never been exposed to safe sleep or know anything about it, or even that car seats expire,” Farris said. “There are people who don’t even know about WIC and it’s in the same building. They just don’t know.”
Women, Infant and Children (WIC) is a federal or state program that ensures proper nutrition for poor mothers and their children.
According to the USDA, or the United States Department of Agriculture, Delaware County has a poverty rate of over 21 percent, ranking in as the second most poverty ridden county in the state in 2016.
Farris says due to the poverty situation people should know about programs such as WIC but she understands why they don’t, and it goes back around the circle to the lack of education.
However it’s not just grown women who don’t understand pregnancy, it’s both the women and young girls who don’t understand the basic anatomy of their bodies.
“Some of these girls don’t even know how their periods work,” Thompson said. “Not all of them are young girls, some of them are grown women who come in and don’t understand. It’s amazing sometimes…I think that’s why we see a lot more of the younger people pregnant.”
With the take over of the Muncie Community School System by the state, both Farris and Thompson are hoping the state sees the extreme situation in Delaware County and makes changes to the state requirements when it comes to sex education.
“I think in the past years it’s supposed to be something that you’re supposed to be embarrassed about or it’s not supposed to be talked about because proper girls don’t talk about stuff like that or things like that,” Thompson said. “Well, let’s be real though. These kids are going to have sex regardless. They just are, no matter how much we say wait, which is what we hope they do, they are going to do what they want to do when they want to do it. So in that instance, let’s educate them, let’s tell them.”
Farris says that’s it’s irrelevant if it’s a touchy subject. People should not be ashamed to ask questions and get the answers they need. The information that sex education gives to kids helps them the rest of their lives.
“There needs to be a standardized, required sex education that if you are sick that day, you have to go retake it later, to make sure that the kids are focused, paying attention and even that there is a penalty for not paying attention because it’s not a casual thing,” Farris said. “It’s just not no matter how many times you try to tell yourself it is. If it has the potential to create or destroy a life, then you really need to pay attention and know what you’re doing."
“Homelessness has been a big issue for pregnant moms lately,” Thompson said. “We have a lot of moms who maybe dad isn’t in the picture, dad is locked up or there is no family support…Drugs are a big problem and I think that plays a big part in a lot of the issues that come through here.”
Farris agreed, saying those then connect to the other issues such as transportation causing women to miss appointments or not know what resources that are out there for them.
“The infant mortality rate here is very high but we also have a huge population of smoking mothers and a huge population of people who have never been exposed to safe sleep or know anything about it, or even that car seats expire,” Farris said. “There are people who don’t even know about WIC and it’s in the same building. They just don’t know.”
Women, Infant and Children (WIC) is a federal or state program that ensures proper nutrition for poor mothers and their children.
According to the USDA, or the United States Department of Agriculture, Delaware County has a poverty rate of over 21 percent, ranking in as the second most poverty ridden county in the state in 2016.
Farris says due to the poverty situation people should know about programs such as WIC but she understands why they don’t, and it goes back around the circle to the lack of education.
However it’s not just grown women who don’t understand pregnancy, it’s both the women and young girls who don’t understand the basic anatomy of their bodies.
“Some of these girls don’t even know how their periods work,” Thompson said. “Not all of them are young girls, some of them are grown women who come in and don’t understand. It’s amazing sometimes…I think that’s why we see a lot more of the younger people pregnant.”
With the take over of the Muncie Community School System by the state, both Farris and Thompson are hoping the state sees the extreme situation in Delaware County and makes changes to the state requirements when it comes to sex education.
“I think in the past years it’s supposed to be something that you’re supposed to be embarrassed about or it’s not supposed to be talked about because proper girls don’t talk about stuff like that or things like that,” Thompson said. “Well, let’s be real though. These kids are going to have sex regardless. They just are, no matter how much we say wait, which is what we hope they do, they are going to do what they want to do when they want to do it. So in that instance, let’s educate them, let’s tell them.”
Farris says that’s it’s irrelevant if it’s a touchy subject. People should not be ashamed to ask questions and get the answers they need. The information that sex education gives to kids helps them the rest of their lives.
“There needs to be a standardized, required sex education that if you are sick that day, you have to go retake it later, to make sure that the kids are focused, paying attention and even that there is a penalty for not paying attention because it’s not a casual thing,” Farris said. “It’s just not no matter how many times you try to tell yourself it is. If it has the potential to create or destroy a life, then you really need to pay attention and know what you’re doing."