Newswise — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate as non-Hispanic whites. In support of National Minority Health Month, the Spelman College Department of Health Services and the Student Health and Peer Educators will host "Education for the Hand That Rocks the Cradle" to inform the community of ways to improve minority birth rates. Being held in conjunction with "A Healthy Baby Begins With You" campaign, the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, and features Tonya Lewis Lee, author, producer and wife of filmmaker Spike Lee.
"Investing in a woman's health prior to conception is important because we are making an investment in the overall health of our communities," said Lee, spokesperson for "A Healthy Baby Begins with You" campaign. "Partnering with organizations such as Spelman is key to educating the African American community on strategies to provide our babies with a healthy start."
"A Healthy Baby Begins With You" campaign, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health initiative, has worked with historically Black colleges and universities to develop the Preconception Peer Educators Program. Spelman is the second HBCU to roll out the PPE program, which trains college students to increase community awareness of risk factors that lead to high infant mortality rates among African Americans.
"While recent statistics show dramatic declines in infant mortality rates, that reduction has not had a significant impact on the African American community" said Brenda Dalton, director of the Spelman Department of Health Services. "Inequalities in preconception health education have been a leading contributor to this disparity. In response, we've partnered with "A Healthy Baby Begins With You" to raise awareness and help close this gap."
"Education for the Hand That Rocks the Cradle," which has received financial support from the Region IV Office on Women's Health at DHHS, will highlight national initiatives successful in improving birth outcomes and the health of women prior to pregnancy. Topics to be addressed include nutrition, fitness, stress relief, men's health and the correlation between certain habits and pregnancy. Along with Lee, who will be signing copies of her books, representatives from DHHS, several doctors, including a neonatologist and various vendors will be on hand to provide information on preconception and reproductive health. There will also be a raffle, gift cards, mini-massages, baby item giveaways, and on-site childcare for ages 3 and up.
Building on the momentum of the 2007 campaign, which raised awareness of the high infant mortality rate among African Americans by delivering messages on the importance of prenatal care and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, year two of the "A Healthy Baby Begins with You" campaign focuses on preconception health, the step prior to the need for prenatal care.
Fisk University, Meharry Medical College and Morgan State were also selected to participate in the PPE program, which launched at Howard University in August 2008. Since 2007 the "A Healthy Baby Begins with You" campaign has partnered with public health departments and children's health organizations, such as the March of Dimes, to raise awareness about the high infant mortality rate among African Americans. Health officials define the national infant mortality rate as the number of deaths per 1,000 live births. Within the African American community the rate is 13 infant deaths per 1,000 live births compared to 6.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for non-Hispanic whites.
Spelman CollegeFounded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts a 79 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 12:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visit www.spelman.edu.
The Office of Minority HealthThe Office of Minority Health (OMH) was established in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It advises the Secretary and the Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS) on public health program activities affecting American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. Its mission is to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities. For more information on the campaign, please see www.omhrc.gov.
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