Maternal, infant health focus of top health official's visit
Aug. 31—NEW ALBANY — Indiana's top health official focused on the state's programming to support maternal and infant health during a Tuesday presentation at Baptist Health Floyd.
Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box discussed the state's efforts to support mothers and children across the state.
The event included talk about My Healthy Baby, a program that will be rolled out in Floyd and Harrison counties starting Sept. 12. The program connects women to family support providers who can guide them during their pregnancy.
The program has already been rolled out in other Indiana counties, including Clark, and the plan is to implement My Healthy Baby statewide by mid-2023, Box said.
My Healthy Baby is run by the Indiana Department of Health, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and the Indiana Department of Child Services. The program was created in 2019 through House Enrolled Act 1007.
"We think that is a really, really important part of how we're going to drive down this infant mortality rate in the state of Indiana," Box said. "The goal of this program is to connect as many women who are pregnant as early as possible to pre-natal care and to a family support provider, or home visitor, who is there to be their constant companion, their trusted individual who can help connect them to resources, whether that is substance abuse disorder treatment or mental health issues, making sure that they are getting to their pre-natal appointments."
Box addressed the state's challenges related to infant mortality, saying that in 2020, Indiana had 522 babies who died before their first birthday.
The state has "traditionally had one of the worst infant mortality rates in the nation," she said.
"I will tell you that in 2019 our infant mortality rate of 6.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births was the lowest infant mortality rate that we've ever had in our state, so we're making progress, but as you can see, we still have a long way to go."
She noted disparities in infant mortality among minority populations, particularly Black and Hispanic residents. Box described infant mortality as "a window into the health of a nation, a state and a county."
"We know that healthier moms make healthier babies, and that's really important when you look at how Indiana has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation, and we have one of the highest obesity rates in the nation," she said. "And both of those are significant contributing factors to pre-term birth and child mortality."
Through My Healthy Baby, the family support provider can visit pregnant women who receive Medicaid benefits at their homes or other spaces that are comfortable for them. They provide free guidance tailored to the mother's specific needs and concerns.
The family support providers also assist women in the 12 months following the child's birth.
Box said families who have access to home visits have improved outcomes for the mother and the child.
My Healthy Baby includes a referral system to connect women to the program. They might be referred to the program by loved ones or health care providers.
Box also discussed other programs available through the state, including the Indiana Pregnancy Promise Program, a free program from the Family and Social Services Administration. It is available for pregnant women who are eligible for Medicaid coverage and have struggled with opioid use.
The voluntary program offers support for substance abuse disorder and mental health, and it helps individuals with access to pre-natal appointments.
"They make sure those individuals have their pre-natal appointments, but not just that, but that they make their appointments," Box said. "They ask, did you make it, and if not, why not — was it a transportation issue, was it a child care issue, how can I help you with that."
"Then they make sure women have treatment for their opioid use and they do have the opportunity to get into recovery and stay in recovery, that they have the mental health services, because we know that many women are using because they have underlying anxiety or depression that has gone untreated," she said.
She mentioned the results of the state's maternal mortality review, which started in 2018.
"What we found that what is the No. 1 cause of maternal mortality — that's the death of a woman while she's pregnant or in that entire first year after she delivers — the No. 1 cause is overdose," Box said.
Floyd County Health Officer Dr. Tom Harris was among those who attended Tuesday's presentation. He said programs such as My Healthy Baby and Indiana Pregnancy Promise are helpful in "reaching at-risk populations."
"And that's the whole goal here — to provide the care and support systems to people who clearly need it," he said. "The good news is that Floyd County has lower infant mortality rates than the state and national levels, so we're doing good on a local basis, but we still have populations that are at risk, and these programs are great ways to get people who need the help what they need."
