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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's high infant-mortality rate is "unacceptable" and must be reduced, Gov. John Kasich said as he announced a plan to combat the problem.
At issue is data showing that 1,045 infants died in 2012 in Ohio before reaching the age of 1.
Kasich unveiled the initiatives Thursday at the 2014 Ohio Infant Mortality Summit, the Columbus Dispatch reported (http://bit.ly/1vVFDoE ).
"Ohio has one of the worst infant-mortality rates in the nation, and that is simply unacceptable," Kasich said.
Under the first plan, the Ohio Medicaid program will provide immediate high-risk care management and services to pregnant women and babies in nine communities with high infant-mortality rates.
Kasich, a Republican, said the state will also spend $900,000 to fund two rural and two urban "pregnancy projects" to provide services to expectant mothers and a place to meet to support one another. Federal dollars will cover the cost.
In addition to the high overall rate, Ohio's infant-mortality rate for black babies is 15.5 deaths per 1,000 births, more than twice the rate of 6.4 among whites.
The administration hopes to quickly connect pregnant women and babies with health care and build on work underway in Columbus and elsewhere, said Greg Moody, Ohio's director of health transformation.
Last year, Kasich announced a $4.2 million campaign to help babies sickened by their mothers' addictions to prescription painkillers.
The nine communities are: Butler County, Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Summit County, Toledo and Youngstown.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
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