The Mississippi State Department of Health is launching its “Saving the Smallest” infant mortality campaign amid troubling statistics continuing to plague the state.
As noted in the state’s most recent public health report card, Mississippi is in the cellar when it comes to infant mortality rates, and more babies are born preterm in Mississippi than anywhere else in the nation. Looking to change that, the initiative aims to educate Mississippi families on steps they can take to ensure their babies are born healthy.
More than 5,000 babies were born preterm in Mississippi in 2024, consistent with the 2023 rate, and the state has high rates of inadequate prenatal care with significant racial disparities, at around 15%. Babies born to Black moms face a preterm birth rate of 18.5%, compared to 12.7% for white moms. Mississippi currently ranks No. 50 in the nation in infant mortality rates and No. 49 in maternal mortality rates.
“We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality,” State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said. “Improving maternal health is the best way to reduce preterm births and infant mortality. Healthy women of childbearing age are more likely to have healthy pregnancies, which in turn leads to healthier babies who live to celebrate many birthdays.”
While the numbers are daunting, officials are confident that trends can be reversed by promoting safe prenatal and infant care behaviors, which would lead to more babies being born full-term along with a decrease in infant mortality rates.
Officials recommend the following basic measures to be followed to keep babies healthier both in and out of the womb:
- Prenatal care and early appointments/interventions
- Prenatal nutrition – 44.5% of moms are an unhealthy weight
- Substance use prevention, especially the avoidance of ingesting nicotine
- Safe sleep practices
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention
- Importance of attending postnatal/infant checkups
- Infant nutrition/breastfeeding, if possible.
The “Saving the Smallest” will officially kick off on Friday, Jan. 23, which is also recognized nationally as Maternal Health Awareness Day.