Franklin County's subpar maternal and infant health rates
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High preterm birth rates earned Franklin County, the state of Ohio and the U.S. all D+ grades in a March of Dimes report on maternal and infant health.
By the numbers: According to 2023 data, 10.6% of Franklin County babies are born before 37 weeks gestation, slightly higher than the national average.
- Ohio's infant mortality rate ranks 43rd nationally, with 7.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
The big picture: Nationwide infant mortality rate rose in 2022 for the first time in two decades, the report says, in line with other studies carried out after Roe v. Wade was struck down.
- People in the South and Midwest experience the worst outcomes and women of color are disproportionately impacted.
Zoom in: Columbus also lags behind peer cities in infant mortality rates, according to a recent Columbus Foundation report.
- The city's CelebrateOne initiative is working to move the needle by connecting families to resources to improve prenatal and postpartum care.
What they're saying: CelebrateOne Executive Director Danielle Tong wasn't surprised by poor local and national grades, and said numbers exacerbated by the pandemic are beginning to stabilize thanks to efforts to expand access to care.
- "We are resource-rich," she told Axios. "We've got everything we need to nail this in Central Ohio. What we need is more coordination of those efforts."
Go deeper: March of Dimes gives U.S. a failing grade for maternal, infant health care outcomes