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Empowering moms – and dads – in the black infant mortality crisis
Stacy Scott spent 17 years working on safe sleep campaigns at the federal level before starting the Global Infant Safe Sleep Center.
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Priska Neely/KPCC
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After Stacy Scott gave a presentation about safe sleep during a church service at Family Baptist Church in Toledo, this dad approached her for more information.
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Priska Neely/KPCC
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Members of the Toledo chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi during a presentation on infant mortality rates and safe sleep practices.
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Priska Neely/KPCC
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Listen
4:55
Empowering moms – and dads – in the black infant mortality crisis
Black babies in the United States are twice as likely to die before their first birthday as white babies. Across the country, researchers, health professionals and community organizers are trying, in ways big and small, to change that.
Ohio has some of the highest infant mortality rates in the country, and in Toledo, black infants are three times as likely to die. Community organizations are focusing on tangible things that black moms and dads can to help.
While most of the black babies who die are born premature, there are also higher rates for sleep-related deaths as babies grow.
"We always worked with moms and babes," said Stacy Scott, founder of the Global Infant Safe Sleep Center. "But I thought it would be great to be able to bring the dad into the conversation."
Through a partnership with the black fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi, thousands of men across the country are getting training to be ambassadors.
Click above to listen.
Read more from this series on LAist:
- America's Black Babies Are Paying For Society's Ills. What Will We Do To Fix It?
- Keeping Black Babies Alive Is A Priority For LA's Top Health Officials
- These People Have Dedicated Their Lives To Keeping Black Babies Alive
- Black Babies Die At Twice The Rate Of White Babies. My Family Is Part Of This Statistic
This project received support from the Center for Health Journalism's California Fellowship and its Fund for Journalism on Child Well-being.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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