By Dr. Sheldon Fields
For the first time in over twenty years, the infant mortality rate has increased in the United States, rising to three percent in 2022, according to CDC data. This troubling trend is not impacting everyone equally. Black infants face up to double the risk of dying in comparison to Hispanic and White babies.
This data has sent shockwaves through the medical community and underscores the harsh realities for Black mothers and babies. Fortunately, there are common sense solutions hiding in plain sight that could start saving more lives—a process that begins with infant nutrition.
Maternal health and infant mortality remain prominent topics on Capitol Hill and beyond. Last spring, Congress reintroduced the Momnibus Act that includes critical investments aimed at addressing racial maternal health disparities. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a comprehensive proposal to address this ‘crisis head-on.’ Another step in the right direction would be swift passage of Rep. Morgan McGarvey’s legislation increasing access to human milk, which is proven to save young lives.
Black infants have the highest mortality rate in the United States. Many factors contribute to this chilling statistic, ranging from socioeconomics to access to quality health care. But we can start to protect Black preemies by expanding Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursements for human milk-derived human milk fortifiers. It may sound like a complicated topic—but here’s why it is critically important to turn the tide on Black infant mortality.
Not only are Black babies more than twice as likely to die compared to White babies, they are nearly four times more likely to die from complications from very low birth weight (VLBW). One of the most common causes for death among premature babies is called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a disease of the bowel that can be fatal.
The risk of NEC can be significantly reduced when babies are fed exclusively human milk. But many NICUs are not able to offer this nutrition to fragile preemies. Instead, most NICUs offer supplements– called fortifiers– that are made of cow’s milk instead of human milk. This can be problematic because cow’s milk is a foreign protein that can be difficult for a preemie to digest, resulting in infections like NEC.
Despite medical research, this nutrition is not readily available because of insufficient Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursements. Rep. McGarvey’s bill would solve this problem by covering human milk-derived human milk fortifiers in all 50 states.
Clinical evidence shows that NICUs have stronger clinical outcomes when infants have access to an exclusive human milk diet. Fewer illnesses are reported, including NEC, and preemies have a better chance of staying healthy and growing strong enough to go home.
There is a growing body of evidence on the health benefits associated with breastmilk. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization have cited reduced respiratory, ear and gastrointestinal infections after six months of breastfeeding. Accordingly, Black premature infants who are most susceptible to life-threatening illnesses should have access to human milk, regardless of a mother’s ability to provide it, to promote live-saving nutrition.
Our members are on the frontlines every day and witness first-hand the benefits of proper nutrition for preemies and newborns. On behalf of our members, we urge Congress to pass Rep. McGarvey’s bill and remove barriers for Black babies.
The Black maternal health and infant mortality crisis can be summed up simply: The deaths of our mothers and infants are largely preventable. While the solutions to save more lives are complicated, Congress can improve infant nutrition and strengthen the safety net for our most vulnerable and precious babies.
