JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today kick starts Black Maternal Health week. It’s a national reminder that lots of families experience pain, neglect and loss during a time that should be joyous.
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Action News Jax has learned that African American babies in Florida and in Duval County in particular are dying at a faster rate than Caucasian babies.
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According to a chart from Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, an organization aiming to reduce Florida’s high infant mortality rate -- Florida’s statewide rate of African American babies dying before they reach age one is almost three times the rate of a Caucasian baby.
“For several reasons, like I said the life course of the mother,” Faye Johnson, CEO for Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, said.
Johnson says in Duval, the infant mortality rate for African American babies in the following zip codes, 32208, 32209, 32210 and 32211 are higher than the state average as of 2021. The state average is 5.8% while Duval County’s average is 6.8%.
“We look at areas of poverty, social and economic status, it could be fluent women and still their babies may not live to see their first birthday,” Johnson said.
Johnson explains that many infant deaths in the black community could be prevented if the mother’s health was at the forefront of all doctor visits.
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“If the mother’s body is like a ship and she’s carrying this precious cargo, but the ship has some damage already that cargo is going to be hard to carry because the ship has already had challenges health wise,” Johnson said.
Some of those health challenges include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and chronic disease.
In an effort to address the high infant mortality rate for African American babies and their mothers in Florida and Duval, Johnson is helping relaunch the “Hey Mama” campaign.
“It speaks to the women and says hey mama you have the support, hey mama you’ve got this. It’s an entry point to women getting into services,” Johnson said.
Those services include free, one-on-one consultations and home visits that could be key to prolonging the life of African American babies in Florida and in Duval.
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If you have any question for Ms. Johnson or The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition you can reach them by clicking here.
