CHARLOTTE — Infant mortality in Mecklenburg County has reached a five-year low, with the death rate dropping to five for every 1,000 births.
The most recent county report shows this is a decrease from previous figures of more than six deaths per 1,000 births.
While the overall mortality rate has declined, leaders at the nonprofit organization Care Ring said that significant work remains to address racial disparities and systemic health care gaps.
Data shows that access to care remains a challenge for many expectant mothers in the region.
Black babies in Mecklenburg County are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies, according to reports. Health officials also found that one in five women in the county receives inadequate prenatal care during their pregnancy.
Tchernavia Montgomery, the CEO of Care Ring, works with mothers to address these systemic issues. She said the community must prioritize improving medical availability to close existing gaps in the health care system.
“We as a community have improvements that we need to make around access to care,” Montgomery said. “We know that one and five women in Mecklenburg County received inadequate care prenatally. But we also know that we have some gaps that exist systemically that we need to close.”
Care Ring and local health leaders are teaming up to host the third annual Maternal Health Conference. In addition to infant mortality, the conference will focus on ways to reduce the rate of mothers who die from complications related to childbirth, organizers said.
The Maternal Health Conference is scheduled to take place next Thursday.
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