Alarming Infant Death Rate In Kansas Sparks New Program To Save Lives (VIDEO)

Infant death rates in Wyandotte County, Kansas are the highest in the state, but a new program, MOM (Maternal Options That Matter), is working to change the statistics and save lives, according to KCTV.  

Thirty infants die annually in Wyandotte County before they reach their first birthday, and the infant death rate for African-American babies is the worst in the nation.

By partnering with the University of Kansas Family Medicine Department and nurse-midwifery program, MOM hopes to bring prenatal care to the many moms that need it, as many women in Wyandotte County do not receive their much needed care.

Sharon Lee, president and CEO of Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Clinic, said that the "real goal is to have more babies in Wyandotte County celebrate their first birthday."

MOM will free pregnancy tests to the women of Wyandotte County, in an attempt to help get women care as quickly as possible once they know they are pregnant. Lee also said that the program wants to help get women on folic acid, a prenatal vitamin, even prior to becoming pregnant, as well as prenatal and delivery services.

In a news report video from KCTV (below), a young couple at the Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Clinic hear their baby's heartbeat for the first time, a part of prenatal care that many women in Wyandotte County unfortunately do not get access to.

Lee told reporters that through MOM is trying to provide expecting mothers with all of the support they need so that they can have healthy babies.

Midwives, like certified nurse-midwife Cara Busenhart, will help guide women through their pregnancy and make sure that mom and baby remain healthy. Busenhart explained that the focus is "on taking care of the whole woman, looking at social issues, psychological issues, as well as her health and having the healthiest pregnancy that she can."

In 2009, the Kansas Blue Ribbon Panel on Infant Mortality took a close look at this issue, and found that five zip codes located in Wyandotte County had the highest infant mortality rates, including 66101, 66102, and 66104.

Click here to donate to the program or learn more about receiving prenatal care.