Infants living within Akron’s 44320 or 44307 zip codes have a greater risk of dying before their first birthdays than babies anywhere else in the state.
Infant mortality rates in those predominantly black West Akron neighborhoods are 12.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 7.2 deaths in Summit County and 6.1 deaths nationally.
The statistics were revealed at the kickoff of a race dialogue on “the impact of racism on infant mortality” held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Buchtel Community Learning Center.
About 300 people attended the event, which included a panel discussion with community leaders. More countywide sessions are planned during the next six weeks to identify solutions that can be accomplished within the next six months.
The constant theme throughout the event was a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “The time is always right to do what is right.”
Emilia Sykes, a state representative from Akron, said it is unacceptable that where you live can determine infant mortality.
“There are social determinants that make it impossible for people to live and thrive, such as poverty, access to jobs, access to justice and education, the ability to walk around in the community without fear of crime and violence or grocery stores in the community where you can get fresh foods,” she said. “We need to put enough resources into those communities to take away some of the stress. Some of the everyday things that create stress.”
She said state funding of $105,000 has been pledged toward the mission.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said he was unaware of the severity of the problem and pledged to find city money to help solve it.
He said a cabinet member told him that EMS is the primary health care provider in many parts of the city.
“That’s not a good situation to be in,” he said. “My goal is to break down the silos. This is not a fight anymore, but a war.”
Dr. G. Dante Roulette, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Akron-based Summa Health System, said although overall infant mortality rates seem to be declining in the past 40 years, African-American infants continue to die at rates two to three times higher than those of other races.
He said 11.46 per 1,000 babies die in the black community, a rate that’s equivalent to the number in Russia. Some reasons for the higher rates include diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and lack of prenatal care, medical care and good nutrition.
To help address the issue, Roulette said he’s started going into the community to earlier reach pregnant women who don’t always go to doctor visits.
He said premature births — those before 37 weeks in the womb — and low birth weight contribute to high infant mortality rates.
Those babies born weighing less than 5.5 pounds have a 40 times higher rate of death than those born at a higher weight. Newborns weighing less than 2.2 pounds had 200 times the risk of dying.
The Rev. Eugene Norris, pastor of Mountain of the Lord Fellowship, said institutional and structural racism is the elephant in the room.
The higher infant mortality rates among blacks, he said, mostly boils down to stress on black women.
“How you deal with stress impacts our babies,” he said. “Whether a woman has a PhD or a GED, she is still dealing with the same issues of racism.”
A recent survey in Atlanta of 600 pregnant women who graduated from Spelman College and Emory University found many were concerned about raising a black male in America and the prejudices he could face.
“Black lives matter and that means our children too,” said Norris.
He also addressed the men in the room, telling them to treat their women like queens when they come home.
“You may think your woman is just tripping, but maybe she is going through postpartum depression. Never use derogatory language around your ladies, our mothers, sisters and our daughters ...l ove, respect and protect our sisters,” Norris said.
He described safe sleep, saying babies should sleep in their own beds and not on your chest and emphasized that you should “never, ever shake a baby.” He also told fathers it’s not “babysitting” when they’re with their children.
Marcus Cooper, 39, of West Akron, said his children beat the odds. He has three children who weighed under 2 pounds when they were born. The three children — now 5 and 2-year-old twins — live in the 44320 zip code.
“We have to figure out a way to reach the younger generation, that’s who needs the information,” said Dr. Gregory Kuper, a medical resident at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Kuper, 36, said he is interested in community health care and wasn’t aware of the statistics. The future pediatrician said this problem is now on his radar.
Shareetah Wahid, 65, of West Akron, said after having six children in the 44320 zip code, she tries to help younger families.
“I’m old school, talking from experience,” she said. “I’m called a mother hen, because I tell the younger folks not to shake their babies or throw them up in the air. It’s important for mothers to take responsibility for their children, but some just don’t know any better. They may come from dysfunctional families and not have someone older or wiser to tell them what to do and not to do, but that’s not their fault. All I know is my old ways worked because all of my babies survived.”
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Miller on Twitter at twitter.com/MarilynMillerBJ.