The Jackson Sun - March 3, 2009
By Tracie Simer

Celebrity guest plans to speak about saving babies' lives

Tennessee ranks seventh in the nation for the highest infant mortality rates, with a rate of about 8.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to a report from the Tennessee Department of Health. In 2007, 718 babies born in Tennessee died before their first birthdays, the report said.

A conference sponsored by Lane College on April 4 will address the issue of infant mortality and how to lower the number of deaths in Tennessee.

The conference, "Raising Awareness and Saving Lives," was created to educate West Tennesseans on the issue, said Cynthia Murry. She is the project director of the Wellness Center at Lane.

The one-day event will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the J. Walter Barnes Conference Center on West Forest Avenue. There is no cost for admission.

The key speaker will be Tonya Lewis Lee, wife of film director Spike Lee. She is an advocate for education in infant mortality, which includes her "A Healthy Baby Begins with You" campaign.

Lee said the infant mortality rates in the United States are at third-world levels and that the U.S. ranks 29th in the world for infant mortality.

"It's despicable, shameful and horrible," she said. "Most of the babies dying are African American, Hispanic and Native American. I feel not just for our women, but for our nation."

Lee considers herself a well-educated woman, but she admits that she was shocked when she first heard how high the country's infant mortality rates are.

"Once I learned what kind of crisis this is in this country, I discovered most people don't really know about it either," she said. "I knew I had to get on board to spread the word that there is a crisis and we need to bring these rates down."

One question Lee asks herself is "Why are the numbers so high, particularly in the African American community?" She said in Memphis, specifically, the numbers are high for all women, no matter their race.

"Why is that? I'm not sure what the answer is," she said. "I hope that part of this conference will be able to get at some of those answers."

Lee's healthy baby campaign tries to get at the problem by reminding women to be as healthy as they can, she said.

Before, during and after a pregnancy, there should be no smoking or drinking. Moms should look at a healthy diet and try to get exercise, she said.

"And there's working on de-stressing yourself," she said. "Infant mortality is related to low birth weight and premature births, and stress is a big factor for all. We need to figure out ways for women to get help so they're not as stressed."

In addition to babies who are stillborn or miscarried, many are born alive but die before their first birthday, Lee said.

"I've learned that so many babies die by rollover deaths," she said. "Parents should not sleep in the same bed with baby before its first birthday."

Putting a baby to sleep on its back can help parents avoid SIDS. Lee said to make sure the baby sleeps in a crib without stuffed animals, pillows or anything he could choke on.

"People think they're doing the right thing because it's nice to have the baby close to you," she said. "It's nice for nursing. It feels like a good bonding thing to have the baby close. But the problem is when parents go into a deep sleep, they turn over and don't realize they're on top of their child. It's the saddest thing, because people think they're doing the right thing."

Murry thinks there are other reasons why Tennessee's mortality rate is so high.

"I think it's because there are a lot of unwed mothers and some of them have no access to health care," she said. "And their male partners don't know much about women's health and pregnancy. Women and men both need to know these things."

This conference was designed by some of Murry's students. Student health ambassadors go into the community to find health disparities, Murry said.

"This is one of those things that is preventable," she said. "From preconception health to prenatal and safe sleeping habits, this is all important."

Murry said she hopes the conference will be an educational wake-up call for all who attend.

"Most people see the numbers and don't think about it," she said. "But when it's your child, or your cousin's or your friends, you can put a face to the baby. A baby that might not make it to its first birthday. And every baby matters."

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