SPC Mortality Rate Discussion

1)In 1984, Pinellas County had 85 deaths under the age of 1 year, and 64 deaths of infants under 28 days old. For the deaths of those 1 year and younger, there were 52 whites, and 33 black/other. For the deaths of those babies 28 days old or younger, there were 40 whites and 24 black/other. When narrowed down to just Saint Petersburg, there were 45 deaths of those age 1 year old and younger. Of those, 20 were white and 25 were black/other. And for age 28 days and younger, there were 34 deaths. Of those, 15 were white and 19 were black/other. I was only able to find the actual rate for Florida as a whole or for urban areas in Florida. The infant mortality rate for urban areas in Florida, for ages of 1 year old and younger was 10.3. The rate for 28 days and younger was 6.5 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1987).

The current infant mortality rate for Pinellas County is 6.8 deaths for every 1,000 births (Florida Department of Health, 2018). This is much lower than the infant mortality rate in 1984. I feel this is due to advancements in health care, from prenatal care to new medications that may be needed after birth. I also think education and general awareness of how to care for mother and child during and after pregnancy plays a big role. For example, it was more socially acceptable for pregnant mothers to smoke and drink then versus now.

2)The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of children that died before their first birthday per 1,000 live births. I was born in Rio Claro, Trinidad, in the year 1985. Since this is a small country, there isn't an infant mortality rate per city, but in 1985, the infant mortality rate for the country was 31.315, with a growth rate of -1.830%. Today the infant mortality rate is 20.702 with a growth rate of -2.020%. According to the data on macro trends, the infant mortality rate continued to decrease from 1985 to 2021. According to the CDC, five causes of infant mortality are birth defects, preterm births, injuries, sudden infant death syndrome, and maternal pregnancy complications.

I believe being a third-world country contributes to the infant mortality rate in Trinidad significantly. There are areas of the country with poor sanitation and no running water, making it difficult to care for newborns. The hospitals are located in the country's city areas, making it difficult for families from local areas to reach them in an emergency. Hospitals also lack the equipment or have doctors who do not pay enough attention to their patients. I was born as a blue baby and could have been a statistic. My mother tried to explain to the doctors that I was sitting on her chest while in the womb. No one paid her enough attention, and she was not given an ultrasound. Because no one knew I was tangled in the umbilical cord, my mother gave me vaginal birth, which resulted in me strangling. In my opinion, this is an incident that could have been prevented with the right care. While the rate has decreased as a result of the country's development, based on my most recent visit, I believe the hospitals are unsanitary and have much to improve in order to continue to lower this rate.