Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114013

Sarojini Kanotra, PhD, MPH, CHES¹, Adewale Troutman, MD, MA, MPH², and Sheila Andersen, JD, MA, BSN¹. (1) Louisville Metro Health Department, Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation, 400 East Gray Street, Louisville, KY 40202, 502-574-6586, sarojini.kanotra@loukymetro.org, (2) Director Louisville Metro Health Department, U of L School of Public Health, 400 East Gray Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1704

Objective To assess feto-infant mortality rates in Louisville Metro using Perinatal Periods of Risk approach to identify strategic areas for community-based intervention. Methods Data from linked birth and death files were used to create the categorizations by age at death and birthweight. Trend analysis compared the status of infant mortality from 1997-2002 in the four categories: Maternal Health/Prematurity, Maternal Care, Newborn Care and Infant Care. Both external and internal reference groups were used to calculate excess mortality in the county as a whole and by race. Further analysis was done to estimate the amount of excess mortality due to Very Low Birth Weight(VLBW) births versus the amount due to birthweight specific mortality rates. Results There was a decline over time in feto-infant mortality in the Maternal Care and Newborn Care groups, but a slight increase in infant mortality in the Maternal Health/Prematurity group. The Maternal Health/Prematurity and Infant Health groups had gaps when compared to external and internal reference groups. Greatest racial disparities between African American and Whites existed in Infant Health followed by Maternal Health/ Prematurity. These gaps have increased in 2000-2002 as compared to 1997-1999. Results of kitagawa analysis indicated that birthweight specific mortality contributes 53.5% and birthweight distribution contributes 46.5% to the overall excess mortality. Conclusion Louisville Metro should examine the aspects of their perinatal care system that are responsible for higher birthweight-specific infant mortality rates as well as the prevalance and impact of risk factors causing VLBW/prematurity in this community.

Learning Objectives:

• • ·Identify the strategic areas in perinatal health for community-based intervention.
  • ·Translate data into information for policy and program planning.
  • ·Conduct analysis of feto-infant mortality data using PPOR as the conceptual framework.

Keywords: Infant Mortality,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.