Maternal and Child Health Library

This and past issues of the MCH Alert are available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/alert/archives.html.

August 29, 2008

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Special Notice: New Name Signals an Expanded Focus for The National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Other Infant Death (SIDS/ID) Cooperative Agreement Program

The National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss Cooperative Agreement Program reflects both a new name and a broader focus for the SIDS/ID Program. Supported by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau, this cooperative agreement program comprises a national consortium of four centers. Like many state and local initiatives, the national consortium has expanded its program to include pregnancy loss (i.e., miscarriage) and stillbirth, as well as sudden and unexpected infant and child death. All four centers serve this mission, yet each center has a unique purpose and provides distinct resources and services. The centers maintain close collaborative relationships as they address cross-cutting issues. They serve a broad constituency in the public and private sectors, as well as individuals. Core services are briefly listed below, along with contact information.

* The National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss Resource Center at Georgetown University serves as a gateway to critical information on risk reduction, prevention, and bereavement for pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and sudden unexpected infant and child death.
Web: http://www.sidscenter.org
E-mail: info@sidscenter.org
Phone: (866) 866-7437

* The National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss Program Support Center provides education, training, advocacy, and bereavement services, including a 24-hour bilingual bereavement counseling helpline.
Web: http://www.firstcandle.org
E-mail: info@firstcandle.org
Phone: (800) 221-7437

* The National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss -- Project IMPACT serves as the communications hub for a national network of fetal, infant, and child mortality programs -- convening, connecting, and providing technical support to state and local efforts.
Web: http://www.sidsprojectimpact.com
E-mail: info@sidsprojectimpact.com
Phone: (800) 930-7437

* The National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death and Pregnancy Loss Project at the National Center for Cultural Competence provides technical assistance and develops resources on cultural and linguistic competence to help programs effectively address racial and ethnic disparities in perinatal, infant, and child mortality and pregnancy loss.
Web: http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/projects/sids
E-mail: cultural@georgetown.edu
Phone: (800) 788-2066

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Special Notice: CityMatCH, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and the National Healthy Start Association, with funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, have created the Partnership to Eliminate Disparities in Infant Mortality. The project aims to eliminate racial inequities that contribute to infant mortality within urban areas in the United States. State, local, and community collaborative teams will be selected and provided with training and technical assistance in current research, best practices, and systems building. Teams will have the opportunity to network across state lines, strategize to break down barriers in addressing inequities in infant mortality, and design new and innovative solutions tailored to their individual communities. Applications are due on September 8, 2008, by 11:00 p.m., Eastern time, and should be submitted electronically to Jessica Hawkins at jhawkins@amchp.org. A request for applications (including purpose, requirements, and review criteria) can be found at http://www.citymatch.org/downloads/Request_for_Applications.doc.

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1. BABY SAFETY MONTH (SEPTEMBER 2008)

The Baby Safety Month campaign and Web site are designed to educate parents and other caregivers on the safe use and selection of juvenile products. The Web site, sponsored by the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association (JPMA), marks the 25th anniversary of Baby Safety Month (September 2008) by focusing on car seats. Contents include an online resource for keeping infants safe while riding in motor vehicles. A special section for retailers provides ideas for promoting Baby Safety Month in retail locations. Additional content includes information on the history of Baby Safety Month; information about the JPMA certification program; and a consumer brochure (Safe and Sound for Baby) about the safety, use, and selection of other juvenile products. The Baby Safety Month campaign Web site is available at http://www.jpma.org/bsm/2008/index.cfm.

• In the trimmed data set, there were 4,783 neonatal deaths among 63,588 primary C-sections (neonatal mortality rate: 75.2 deaths per 1,000 live births) and 8,950 neonatal deaths among 56,954 vaginal deliveries (neonatal mortality rate: 157.1 deaths per 1,000 live births), producing a significantly reduced C-section/vaginal delivery neonatal mortality rate ratio of 0.48.
• Adjusted ORs for neonatal death for infants delivered through C-sections vs. vaginally were significantly reduced for weeks 22-25.
• At no gestational age was the risk of neonatal death significantly greater among infants delivered through C-sections compared with those delivered vaginally.
• For infants with at least one risk factor (multiple birth, whether the presentation was breech, whether a fetal anomaly was present, whether a medical diagnosis or complication of delivery was present) who were delivered through C-section, the risk of neonatal death was significantly reduced at all gestational ages 22 to 31 weeks, except for 27, 28, and 29 weeks, which bordered on significant reductions.