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Infant mortality rate alarms health specialists
The CNMI still has an alarmingly high mortality rate for infants, according to the Department of Public Health’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
Based on the latest data from the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., the CNMI has so far a total of 34 infant deaths this year.
What is more alarming is the CNMI has a much higher fetal deaths or miscarriages than the infant mortality rate.
DPH-MCHB data analyst Shawnalei Ogumoro said that in their efforts to address this increasing problem, they are trying to reduce “premature mortality” by providing outreach and knowledge to community members.
“We provide services and incorporate that with providing quality improvement by implementing important measures through early stages of pregnancy,” Ogumoro said.
With an estimated population of over 50,000, 34 infant deaths so far in 2014 is a large number for the CNMI. Ogumoro said that majority of the infant mortality deaths occur among the local indigenous women.
According to Ogumoro, 91 percent of mothers here in the CNMI have risk factors that contributes to serious birth complications.
Ogumoro also said that birth complications usually contribute to the infant mortality rate, compared to the United States, where sudden infant death syndrome rates are higher and where the parents are usually healthy.
“These birth complications usually contribute to miscarriages. These risk factors include sexually transmitted infections, the way the mother treats herself, and usually a non-communicable diseases [such as diabetes],” she said.
Usually risk factors contribute to the life expectancy of an infant. The CNMI’s average life expectancy is from 60 to 74 years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infant deaths per 1,000 live births from 2009 averaged 2.7; 2010 and 2011 averaged 2.9; 2012 averaged 8.1; and 2013 averaged 10.2.
Majority of the causes are non-communicable diseases.
“So far we are starting at a smaller scale in addressing this problem and we are [making little headway] due to funding. But we want to revisit this and address the problem. Because 34 is a large number, and not only that, the premature or miscarriages are even higher,” Ogumoro said.
